MailCheap vs Substack (2026)
Open-source newsletters priced per email sent, not per subscriber — against — Publish, charge and grow — zero upfront cost. Same table, same scoring system, clear verdict.
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Head-to-head
Pricing and terms last verified 31 October 2026 — vendors change them often.
| MailCheap | Substack 🏆 | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | No | No |
| Paid from | From $19/mo for 20,000 emails and 10,000 active subscribers | No monthly fee — revenue share instead |
| Free trial | None | None |
| Automations | ✗ | ✗ |
| Landing pages | ✓ | ✓ |
| Paid subscriptions | ✗ | ✓ |
| Ecommerce features | ✗ | ✗ |
| Our score | 4/5 | 4.1/5 |
Choose MailCheap if…
- You're primarily newsletters with large, partly inactive lists
- Pay for emails sent, so dormant subscribers cost nothing
- You can live with: no free plan or trial; cloud starts at $19/mo
Choose Substack if…
- You're primarily writers who just want to publish
- Simplest possible start: write and publish in minutes
- You can live with: no automations — email sequences are impossible
MailCheap vs Substack: FAQ
MailCheap or Substack — which is better in 2026?
For most people matching Substack's strengths (writers who just want to publish), Substack is the stronger choice — it scores 4.1/5 on our four-factor score. But "better" depends on you: choose MailCheap for newsletters with large, partly inactive lists, and Substack for writers who just want to publish.
Is MailCheap cheaper than Substack?
MailCheap has no permanent free plan (From $19/mo for 20,000 emails and 10,000 active subscribers), while Substack has no permanent free plan (No monthly fee — revenue share instead). Vendors reprice several times a year — check both pricing pages before deciding.
Can I switch from MailCheap to Substack (or back)?
Yes. Subscribers export as CSV/JSON from either platform and import into the other. Automation sequences usually need rebuilding — map your tags and forms before migrating.