Side by side
| Substack | Mailchimp | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Yes. It is free to start. Charges apply only when a writer takes payments. | Yes. Free for up to 250 contacts with a maximum of 500 sends a month or 250 a day, 1 seat and 1 audience. Mailchimp branding stays on and generative AI is not included. |
| How it charges | A share of revenue. Writers keep 90% of their revenue minus credit card fees, so Substack's share is 10%. | By contact tier. Paid plans bill monthly or annually at the rate for your tier, and overages are billed automatically when limits are passed. Pay-as-you-go email credits are an alternative for infrequent senders. |
| Works with | Podcasts can be published to Substack, Apple, Spotify and YouTube. | Shopify, WooCommerce, Canva, Zapier, Square, Stripe, Salesforce, WordPress and QuickBooks, among 300+ integrations. |
| AI features | Not published. | Generative AI features are on the Standard and Premium plans, not on Free or Essentials. Intuit Intelligence is in beta with limited availability and can make mistakes. |
Prices and plans change. We checked these figures on October 10, 2026, so confirm them before you buy.
What Substack is
Substack puts writers, creators and subscribers in charge of a new media model. It is free to start and free to leave.
A newsletter operator can publish posts, mark each post free or paid-only, host podcasts, and grow through recommendations, Notes and the Substack app.
Creators own their content and subscriber list.
What Mailchimp is
Mailchimp is an email and SMS marketing platform with automations, analytics and AI tools. Example users include restaurants, non-profits, ecommerce, small businesses and professional services.
A newsletter operator can use it for email campaigns, templates, popup forms, audience tools and reporting. SMS is an add-on in select countries and needs approval.
It connects with 300+ apps.
Which one fits
The two make money from you in different ways. Substack is free to start and keeps 10% of what your writers or readers pay, minus card fees. Mailchimp charges by contact tier, and bills overages automatically when you pass a limit.
If you plan to charge readers, Substack is built around that, with paid posts, podcasts, Notes and chats. If you plan to send campaigns to a list, Mailchimp's free plan covers up to 250 contacts, keeps Mailchimp branding on, and has 300+ integrations including Shopify, Stripe and Zapier.
How much does Substack take?
Writers keep 90% of their revenue minus credit card fees. That makes Substack's share 10%, with card fees taken on top.
Do I own my subscriber list?
Yes. Writers own their content and their subscriber list, and Substack is free to leave.
Does Mailchimp have a free plan?
Yes. It allows up to 250 contacts, 500 sends a month or 250 a day, 1 seat and 1 audience. Sending pauses if a limit is exceeded.
Is there a free trial of paid plans?
Yes. There is a 14-day free trial that needs valid payment information at sign-up. Canceling during the trial incurs no charge.