Newsletter LedgerSysteme.io vs Substack: when a flat plan beats a 10% cut
Substack charges no plan fee but keeps 10% of paid subscription revenue. Systeme.io is free to 2,000 contacts, then $17, $47 or $97 a month, and says it takes 0% transaction fees. So for a free newsletter Substack costs less, and once readers pay, each Systeme.io plan costs less above a revenue line: $170/month on Startup, $470 on Webinar and $970 on Unlimited. Systeme.io prices checked , Substack prices .
Quick answer
- Free newsletter: Substack is $0 at any size; Systeme.io is $0 only to 2,000 contacts.
- Paid newsletter: Substack's 10% passes Systeme.io's plan price at $170, $470 or $970 of monthly paid revenue, depending on the plan your list needs.
- Beyond email: Systeme.io adds funnels, courses and checkout; Substack adds a reader network, app and podcasts.
Monthly plan price side by side
| Contacts / subscribers | Systeme.io | Substack | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1,000 | $0.00 Free | $0.00 Substack (no plan fee) | Same |
| 2,000 | $0.00 Free | $0.00 Substack (no plan fee) | Same |
| 5,000 | $17.00 Startup | $0.00 Substack (no plan fee) | Substack |
| 10,000 | $47.00 Webinar | $0.00 Substack (no plan fee) | Substack |
| 25,000 | $97.00 Unlimited | $0.00 Substack (no plan fee) | Substack |
| 50,000 | $97.00 Unlimited | $0.00 Substack (no plan fee) | Substack |
| 100,000 | $97.00 Unlimited | $0.00 Substack (no plan fee) | Substack |
Per month, US dollars, billed month to month (Systeme.io's yearly prices were not shown on its page). Plan price only: card fees on any sales come on top for both. Systeme.io counts contacts and Substack counts subscribers, which are close but not identical. * = includes a figure not yet confirmed on the vendor's own page.
When Systeme.io costs less than Substack's 10%
The table above shows plan price only, where Substack is always $0. Substack's cost comes from its share of paid revenue instead. Below, the monthly paid-subscription revenue above which each Systeme.io plan costs less than Substack's 10%. Pick the row for the plan your list size needs.
| Systeme.io plan | Contacts | Plan price / month | Systeme.io costs less once paid revenue tops |
|---|---|---|---|
| Startup | up to 5,000 | $17.00 | $170.00 / month |
| Webinar | up to 10,000 | $47.00 | $470.00 / month |
| Unlimited | no limit | $97.00 | $970.00 / month |
Plan price divided by Substack's 10% share, as listed in Substack's help center. Stripe or PayPal fees apply on both and are left out. Try your own numbers in the Substack fee break-even calculator.
Disclosure: links to platforms go through /go/ redirects. Some are affiliate links (currently beehiiv, Systeme.io and Buttondown): if you sign up and pay, we may earn a commission at no cost to you. That never changes the numbers or the order of results. Full disclosure.
Visit Systeme.io (opens in a new tab) · Visit Substack (opens in a new tab)
What each offers, from their own pages
Systeme.io
- Plans are priced by contacts: Free to 2,000, Startup $17/month to 5,000, Webinar $47/month to 10,000, Unlimited $97/month with no contact limit.
- Email sends are listed as unlimited on every plan; the Free plan allows one email campaign and one automation rule.
- No transaction fees from Systeme.io on sales; Stripe or PayPal still charge theirs.
- Funnels, courses, a blog and email in one tool.
Official pricing source (opens in a new tab) (checked 2026-10-24)
Substack
- Free to publish at any list size: there is no plan price.
- Keeps 10% of paid subscription revenue, on top of Stripe's 2.9% + $0.30 per card charge. Its help center also lists Stripe Billing at 0.7% of recurring payments.
- A custom domain is an optional one-time $50.
Official pricing source (opens in a new tab) (checked 2026-10-24)
Who each suits
Systeme.io
Creators earning a few hundred dollars a month or more from paid readers, or selling courses and products alongside the newsletter.
Substack
Writers starting out, free newsletters of any size, and anyone who wants Substack's reader network and app.
Questions
Is Systeme.io cheaper than Substack?
For a free newsletter, no: Substack has no plan fee at any size, while Systeme.io charges from 2,001 contacts. Once readers pay, Substack keeps 10% of subscription revenue and Systeme.io says it takes 0% transaction fees, so a Systeme.io plan costs less once paid revenue passes $170/month (Startup, $17), $470/month (Webinar, $47) or $970/month (Unlimited, $97).
Can Systeme.io run a paid newsletter?
Systeme.io's help pages describe subscription price plans (for example $20/month, with an optional trial), and its pricing page lists unlimited email sends on every plan. Its Free plan allows only one email campaign and one automation rule. It has no Substack-style reader network or app.
Do card fees differ?
Both use outside payment processors: Substack lists Stripe's 2.9% + 30¢ and 0.7% Billing fee, and Systeme.io connects to Stripe or PayPal. Those fees apply on both, so we leave them out of the comparison.
We have not used either product as a publisher; this page compares published prices and plan limits only, not deliverability or editors. See the methodology.