Stan vs Substack
Stan and Substack are both creator monetization tools aimed at creators. Only Substack has a free plan.
| Pricing | Paid · $29 | Free |
| Starting price | $29/mo | Not published |
| Free plan | No | Yes |
| Free trial | 14 days | — |
| Built for | Creators | Creators |
| Platforms | web, ios, android | web, ios, android |
| Country | US · 2020 | US · 2017 |
| Rating | — | — |
Choose Stan if
Social creators monetizing.
- Conversion-optimized checkout
- Mobile-first
- Coaching built in
Look elsewhere if: Large catalog stores.
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).
Stan vs Substack pricing
Stan
- Creator$29/mo$300/yr billed annually; store, courses, bookings
- Creator Pro$99/mo$948/yr billed annually; email, upsells, affiliates
Substack
- Free$0Free publishing, no monthly fee
- Paid subscriptions10%/of revenuePlus credit card processing fees
Stan · Key features
- Link-in-bio store
- Digital products
- Courses
- Coaching bookings
- Memberships
- Email (Pro)
Cons
- Monthly cost
- Design limits
- Fewer integrations
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
Stan vs Substack: FAQ
Do Stan and Substack have a free plan?
Stan has no free plan, a 14-day free trial. Substack has a free plan.