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The Verdict
Kit wins for serious creators who need email marketing automation and want to keep all their revenue.
Substack works better if you're just starting out and want to test paid subscriptions without upfront costs.
Choose Substack if
- +Testing paid newsletter ideas without upfront investment
- +Writers who want built-in discovery features
- +Content creators who prefer simple publishing tools
- +Building audience through Substack's recommendation network
Choose Kit if
- +Professional email marketing with automation
- +Creators selling digital products beyond subscriptions
- +Building complex email sequences and funnels
- +Keeping 100% of subscription revenue
- +Advanced segmentation and targeting
Pricing
Which one costs more?
The pricing models couldn't be more different:
| Plan / Tier | Substack | Kit | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free | Free | Free (10K subs) | Substack unlimited, Kit caps at 10,000 subscribers |
| Entry | 10% of revenue | $33/mo | Substack takes cut of paid subscriptions, Kit fixed monthly |
| Advanced | 10% of revenue | $66/mo | Same Substack model, Kit Pro adds team features |
Buddy's Take on Pricing
It depends on your revenue. If you're making under $330/month, Substack's 10% fee costs less than Kit's $33. Above that threshold, Kit becomes cheaper and you keep more money.
Features
Capability comparison
Here's how these platforms stack up on core creator and email marketing features:
| Capability | Substack | Kit |
|---|---|---|
| Free Plan | ★ | ● |
| Email Automation | ○ | ★ |
| Newsletter Publishing | ★ | ● |
| Paid Subscriptions | ● | ★ |
| Landing Pages | ○ | ★ |
| Audience Discovery | ★ | ● |
| A/B Testing | ✗ | ✓ |
| Digital Product Sales | ◐ | ★ |
| Content Scheduling | ✓ | ✓ |
| Analytics Dashboard | ● | ★ |
| Mobile App | ★ | ○ |
| RSS Campaigns | ✗ | ✓ |
The biggest difference is automation complexity. Kit gives you unlimited visual automation workflows that can trigger based on subscriber behavior, tags, or external events. You can build welcome sequences, product launch campaigns, and complex nurture flows. Substack keeps things simple with basic scheduling and manual sends.
For monetization, Kit lets you sell digital products, courses, and subscriptions while keeping 100% of revenue. Substack focuses on paid newsletters and takes a 10% cut of all subscription income. Both handle payment processing, but Kit offers more flexibility in pricing and product types.
Substack's advantage is discovery. Their recommendation network, Notes feed, and cross-promotion features help new writers find audiences. Kit focuses on conversion tools rather than discovery, assuming you'll drive traffic from other channels.
Who It's For
Who should choose which?
Choose Substack if you...
- +You're testing a paid newsletter idea
- +You want completely free publishing to start
- +You value built-in audience discovery
- +You prefer simple, focused writing tools
Choose Kit if you...
- +You want advanced email automation
- +You're selling multiple types of digital products
- +You need detailed analytics and insights
- +You want to keep 100% of your revenue
Final recommendation
The bottom line
Choose Substack if you're a writer testing paid subscriptions without upfront costs. The platform handles everything simply and helps with discovery through its network effects. The 10% fee only kicks in when you're making money. Go with Kit if you're serious about email marketing and creator business building.
The automation features alone justify the cost once you're generating consistent revenue. You'll keep more money long-term and have professional-grade tools for growing your audience.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Substack is better for writers testing paid newsletters. Kit is better for serious creators who need automation and want to keep all revenue.
Substack costs nothing until you earn money, then takes 10%. Kit costs $33/month but you keep 100% of revenue.
Yes, you can export your Substack subscriber list and import it into Kit. Kit offers free migration assistance.
Kit's free plan supports up to 10,000 subscribers with basic features. Substack is completely free with unlimited subscribers but takes 10% of paid subscriptions.
Substack has better built-in discovery through its recommendation network and Notes feed. Kit focuses on conversion tools rather than audience discovery.
Yes, both integrate with Stripe for payment processing. Substack takes a 10% platform fee on top of payment processing. Kit only charges payment processing fees.
More on these tools
Joonas Rotko
Author & founder of That Marketing Buddy
I score marketing software for AI-stack fit (MCP, API, agent-readiness), backed by 10+ years in digital marketing. This comparison is based on structured data from 60+ tools in the marketing software category.
This page may contain affiliate links. I earn a commission at no extra cost to you. This never influences the comparison.
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