Substack is the best platform for most writers starting a paid newsletter, because it costs $0 to publish and its network helps readers find you. It is not the cheapest. Substack keeps 10% of every subscription, and once you have readers of your own, Kit, Ghost and beehiiv all leave you more of each payment.
| Platform | Monthly cost to charge readers | Platform fee | Keep of $1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Substack | $0 | 10% | $834 |
| Kit | $0 up to 10,000 subscribers | 3.5% + $0.30, card processing included | $935 |
| Ghost | $35 on Publisher at 1,000 members | 0% | $899 |
| beehiiv | $59 on Lite at 1,000 subscribers | 0% | $875 |
| Patreon | $0 | 10% | $841 |
The last column is arithmetic on published fees as of October 2026, for 100 US card payments of $10 on the cheapest plan that takes payments, billed monthly.
How we picked
We ranked these platforms by how well they fit a writer, not by the overall score next to each pick. That score, set out in our methodology, puts 30% of the weight on what you keep, which is why Kit scores 7.4 to Substack’s 7.0. We still rank Substack first. For a writer without an audience, readers are harder to find than margin, and Substack’s reader network is the strongest of the five.
Why is Substack the best place for writers to start?
Substack is the right start for a writer with a small or empty list. It costs nothing to publish, and Notes, recommendations and the Substack app show your work to readers of other publications.
The price is 10% of each subscription, on top of Stripe’s 2.9% + $0.30 per card and 0.7% for recurring billing. By our arithmetic a $10 monthly subscriber is worth about $8.34, and 100 of them leave $834. The minimum price is $5 a month or $30 a year, and a custom domain costs a one-time $50.
Stripe pays web earnings to your bank, usually within 48 hours of each payment. Since August 2025, readers can also subscribe inside the iOS app, where Apple takes 30% in the first year and 15% after, and those earnings arrive up to 45 days after the month ends. From December 1, 2026, Substack collects and remits sales tax and VAT on subscriptions for you.
Does Kit keep the most per subscriber?
Yes. Kit is the cheapest paid newsletter platform we review for a writer who brings their own readers. Its free plan sells subscriptions to lists of up to 10,000 subscribers, and its 3.5% + $0.30 fee includes card processing, which leaves $935 of $1,000.
Kit, called ConvertKit until October 2024, is email software first. Its Creator Network recommends your newsletter to other creators’ new subscribers, but it is a referral loop, not a reading app like Substack’s. Paid plans from $39 a month add automations and the ability to earn from paid recommendations.
Payouts arrive weekly on Fridays from a Kit-managed Stripe Express account. The trade is control. Kit cancels every active subscription if your account closes, so paying readers would have to subscribe again wherever you go next. Kit also leaves US sales tax to you.
When is Ghost the right choice for writers?
Ghost suits writers who want their own website, domain and Stripe account, and who would rather pay a flat plan than a percentage. Ghost takes 0% of memberships, and the Publisher plan starts at $35 a month for 1,000 members, which leaves about $899 of $1,000.
Ghost(Pro) counts free members as well as paid ones, so the plan price follows your whole list. Publisher costs $105 a month at 10,000 members, more than Substack’s 10% would take if only 100 of them paid $10. Ghost wins when a large share of your list pays.
Ghost is open source, so you can also host it yourself with the same 0% fee. Discovery is limited to the Ghost Explore directory, recommendations to new members and ActivityPub following, so plan on bringing your own readers.
Is beehiiv worth it for ad and sponsorship income?
beehiiv is the pick for writers who expect ads and sponsorships to earn as much as subscriptions. It takes 0% of subscriptions, and its Ad Network pays by CPM on unique opens or by CPC on clicks, with campaigns you claim from a marketplace.
Charging readers needs the Lite plan, $59 a month or $49 billed yearly at 1,000 subscribers, which leaves about $875 of $1,000. beehiiv raised and renamed its plans on October 1, 2026, and the price rises with your total list, free readers included.
Paid recommendations pay you for each verified subscriber you send another newsletter, and beehiiv keeps 20% of the offer price. Pro adds a storefront for selling your own sponsorship slots. Writers with small lists and no ad plans will pay for tools they do not use.
When should writers use Patreon instead of a newsletter platform?
Patreon fits writers whose readers pay for more than a newsletter, such as early chapters, e-books, video or member chats. Paid tiers, free members and a shop for digital products, single posts and collections priced from $3 to $5,000 all sit on one page.
Patreon takes 10% from creators who published after August 4, 2025, plus 2.9% + $0.30 per payment, which leaves about $841 of $1,000. You can withdraw once every 24 hours or take an automatic payout on the 5th of each month. Member emails, paid and free, export to CSV.
The flat $0.30 hurts small tiers. As arithmetic on published fees, a $3 tier nets $2.31. Inside Patreon’s iOS app Apple takes 30%, and Patreon raises in-app prices by about 43% by default to cover it. Our Patreon vs Substack comparison covers the choice for writers in detail.
How to choose a platform for paid writing
Start with where your readers come from. A platform that finds readers is worth paying a percentage for. One that only bills readers you already have should cost as little as possible.
- If you have no list yet, start on Substack and let Notes and recommendations do some of the finding.
- If you have an audience on YouTube, a podcast or social media, Kit’s free plan keeps the most of each payment.
- If you want your own site and billing, and most of your list pays, Ghost’s Publisher plan beats Substack above about $350 a month.
- If ads and sponsors are part of the plan, beehiiv’s Lite plan beats Substack above about $590 a month and adds the Ad Network.
- If you sell e-books, video or bonus chapters alongside posts, Patreon handles memberships and one-off sales together.
Think about leaving before you join. On Ghost and beehiiv the subscriptions live in a Stripe account you control. On Kit and Patreon they do not, so a move means asking every paying reader to sign up again. Our Substack vs Ghost, Substack vs beehiiv and beehiiv vs Kit comparisons go deeper, and the guide to starting a paid newsletter covers the first steps.