Memberful vs Substack
Memberful and Substack are both creator monetization tools. Memberful is aimed at creators and small businesses, while Substack is aimed at creators. Only Substack has a free plan.
| Pricing | Paid · $49 | Free |
| Starting price | $49/mo | Not published |
| Free plan | No | Yes |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Built for | Creators, Small businesses | Creators |
| Platforms | web | web, ios, android |
| Country | US · 2013 | US · 2017 |
| Rating | — | — |
Choose Memberful if
Creators with their own site.
- Keep your own site
- WordPress integration
- Private podcasts
Look elsewhere if: Creators without sites (Patreon).
Choose Substack if
Writers starting out who value discovery and simplicity over control.
- Zero upfront cost; discovery network
- Simple, writer-focused
- Payments and hosting handled
Look elsewhere if: Publications with revenue that want to keep 100% and own SEO (Ghost, beehiiv).
Memberful vs Substack pricing
Memberful
- Standard$49/moPlus 4.9% transaction fee; unlimited members
- EnterpriseCustomCustom volume pricing
Substack
- Free$0Free publishing, no monthly fee
- Paid subscriptions10%/of revenuePlus credit card processing fees
Memberful · Key features
- Memberships on your site
- Gated content
- Private podcasts
- Discord roles
- Stripe billing
- Group subscriptions
Cons
- Fees
- Requires your site
- Limited community features
Substack · Key features
- Newsletter, podcast and video publishing
- Paid subscriptions with free and paid tiers
- Recommendations network, Notes and Chat
- Hosted site with custom domain
- Mobile app for readers
- Basic analytics and import tools
Cons
- 10% revenue share
- Limited design and SEO control
- Platform dependence
Memberful vs Substack: FAQ
Do Memberful and Substack have a free plan?
Memberful has no free plan. Substack has a free plan.
Which is better for small businesses, Memberful or Substack?
Memberful lists small businesses as a core audience, while Substack is aimed more at creators.