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A Substack alternative where the site is yours.
Substack keeps 10% of every paid subscription. PaywallProject builds, hosts, and runs your own WordPress news site, with the paywall built in and no revenue share.
Prices are taken from Substack’s public help pages and may change. Payment processing fees (such as Stripe’s) apply on both platforms. “Not listed” means the feature isn’t shown on that company’s public pages. Last updated November 2026.
Which one fits?
Choose Substack if:
- You are a solo writer starting out and want to publish for free, with 10% of paid subscriptions as the cost.
- You are happy with a newsletter on Substack’s layout instead of a full news website.
- You want readers to find you through Substack’s app and recommendations.
Choose PaywallProject if:
- You want a paywall, newsletter, and hosting from $299 a month, with no cut of your subscriptions.
- You want your own news website, with your design and sections, and a team that runs it for you.
- You want public notices, obituaries, or an e-edition built in.
Questions publishers ask
Which costs less, Substack or PaywallProject?
It depends on your subscription revenue. Substack is free to start and keeps 10% of your paid subscriptions. At $5,000 a month in subscriptions, that comes to $500 a month. PaywallProject’s Community plan is $299 a month with no revenue share, and it includes hosting and a team that runs your site. Once you pass about $3,000 a month in subscriptions, PaywallProject costs less. Stripe’s processing fees apply on both.
Is Substack built on WordPress?
No. Substack is its own platform, and your publication lives on Substack’s layout. PaywallProject runs your own WordPress news site, so you choose the design, sections, and features, and we host and run it for you.
Who owns my subscriber data?
You can take your list with you on both. Substack connects to your own Stripe account and lets you export your subscribers. With PaywallProject, payments go straight to your own Stripe account, your subscribers live in your WordPress site, and you can export them at any time.
Can I move from Substack to PaywallProject?
Yes. We handle the move for you. We bring your posts and subscribers over, and paid web subscribers keep their card, price, and renewal date because Substack already uses your own Stripe account. We also help you have Substack remove its 10% fee without canceling anyone.
Moving your publication?
We handle the move: stories, subscribers and Stripe. Talk to a real person first.