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Substack fees (2026): the 10% cut, Stripe's card fee and the 0.7% Billing fee
Last verified against official pricing pages · published 20 Oct 2026
Prices change often. Every price here was checked against the platform's official pricing page on the date shown, but plans, promos and taxes vary. Always confirm on the official site before you buy or switch. Not financial advice.
Substack is free to publish on. Once you charge readers, three fees come out of every payment: Substack's 10%, Stripe's card fee (2.9% + $0.30) and Stripe's 0.7% Billing fee on recurring payments. On an $8/month subscription you keep $6.61, or 82.7%.
Every Substack fee
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Substack fee | 10% of each subscription payment |
| Stripe card processing | 2.9% + $0.30 per payment (US cards) |
| Stripe Billing (recurring payments) | 0.7% |
| Local payment methods (SEPA, iDEAL, Bancontact…) | Set by Stripe, by country |
| Custom domain (optional) | One-time $50 |
| Publishing, free subscribers | $0 at any list size |
Source: Substack: How much does Substack cost? (checked 2026-10-20). Readers pay the price you set; Substack adds nothing on web payments. Card fees for international cards and other countries' Stripe accounts differ (Stripe pricing).
What you keep per payment
| Price | Substack 10% | Stripe card | Stripe Billing | Total fees | You keep |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $5/month | $0.50 | $0.44 | $0.04 | $0.98 (19.6%) | $4.02 |
| $8/month | $0.80 | $0.53 | $0.06 | $1.39 (17.4%) | $6.61 |
| $10/month | $1 | $0.59 | $0.07 | $1.66 (16.6%) | $8.34 |
| $50/year | $5 | $1.75 | $0.35 | $7.10 (14.2%) | $42.90 |
| $80/year | $8 | $2.62 | $0.56 | $11.18 (14.0%) | $68.82 |
| $100/year | $10 | $3.20 | $0.70 | $13.90 (13.9%) | $86.10 |
Example prices; US card payments. Our arithmetic from the published rates.
The $0.30 per payment is why cheap monthly plans lose the most: on a $5/month plan fees take 19.6%, on a $100/year plan 13.9%. Pushing readers toward annual plans is the one fee lever you control on Substack.
Where to see the fees
In Stripe, open Transactions and select a succeeded payment to see Substack's fee and Stripe's processing fee. The Billing fee isn't on the payment itself: open All activity, or Balances → Payouts → a payout → Summary, where it's included in "Stripe fee".
What Substack costs a whole newsletter
With 5% of your list paying $8/month, monthly, compared with platforms that charge a plan fee instead of a cut:
| Subscribers (5% pay $8) | Substack | beehiiv | Ghost | Kit | MailerLite | Buttondown |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1,000 | $69.40 (Free + 10% of paid revenue) | $88.40 (Lite) | $64.40 (Publisher) | $29 (Free) | $48.40 (Comfort) | $38.40 (Paid (usage-based)) |
| 5,000 | $347 (Free + 10% of paid revenue) | $256 (Lite) | $222 (Publisher) | $145 (Free) | $196 (Comfort) | $176 (Paid (usage-based)) |
| 10,000 | $694 (Free + 10% of paid revenue) | $433 (Lite) | $399 (Publisher) | $290 (Free) | $383 (Comfort) | $373 (Paid (usage-based)) |
| 25,000 | $1,735 (Free + 10% of paid revenue) | $934 (Lite) | $904 (Publisher) | $924 (Creator) | $914 (Comfort) | $974 (Paid (usage-based)) |
Per month, monthly billing. Paid totals = plan + platform cut + Stripe card fees (2.9% + $0.30 per payment, estimate) + Stripe's 0.7% Billing fee on recurring payments where confirmed (beehiiv, MailerLite, Ghost, Buttondown, Substack, AWeber and Flodesk); not added for GetResponse (not confirmed); Kit's 3.5% + $0.30 is all-in. How we model fees.
Substack's 10% grows with revenue; a flat-fee platform doesn't. At 10,000 subscribers in this scenario Substack costs $694/mo, of which $400 is Substack's cut. Card fees apply on every platform here (Kit's 3.5% + $0.30 is all-in); what changes is whether a platform also takes a cut or charges a plan fee. See Substack alternatives, the beehiiv break-even and how to move paid subscribers off Substack.
Paid (affiliate) link: we earn a commission if you sign up through it, at no extra cost to you. It never changes our numbers or rankings. Disclosure.
Sources: Substack fees, Stripe pricing, Stripe Billing pricing.
FAQ
How much does Substack take?
Substack keeps 10% of each subscription payment. Stripe then charges 2.9% + $0.30 per US card payment plus 0.7% Stripe Billing on recurring payments. Publishing free newsletters costs nothing.
What is the 0.7% fee on Substack?
It's Stripe's Billing fee on recurring subscription payments. Substack's help page lists "Stripe Billing (recurring payments) 0.7%" and says it applies as of July 2024, also to non-card payment methods. In Stripe it shows up inside the "Stripe fee" on each payout.
How much do I keep from an $8/month Substack subscription?
$6.61: Substack $0.80, Stripe card fee $0.53, Stripe Billing $0.06 (US card, our arithmetic from the published rates).
Does Substack charge for a custom domain?
Yes, a one-time $50.
Are annual subscriptions cheaper in fees?
Yes, in fixed fees: one payment a year means one $0.30 charge instead of twelve. The percentages (10% + 2.9% + 0.7%) are the same.
What about subscriptions bought in the iOS app?
Substack says its 10% is based on your web price; you choose whether in-app prices go up to cover Apple's fees.
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