Last verified:
Memberful vs Substack fees
How Memberful and Substack fees compare, using each vendor's public pricing. Best plan = highest net at that size.
50 members at $19.00/month
| Platform (best plan) | Gross | Platform plan + fees | Processing | Net / month | Data |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Memberful (Standard) | $950.00 | $95.55 | $42.55 | $811.90 | ✓ verified |
| Substack (Paid subscriptions) | $950.00 | $95.00 | $49.20 | $805.80 | ✓ verified |
200 members at $29.00/month
| Platform (best plan) | Gross | Platform plan + fees | Processing | Net / month | Data |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Memberful (Standard) | $5,800.00 | $333.20 | $228.20 | $5,238.60 | ✓ verified |
| Substack (Paid subscriptions) | $5,800.00 | $580.00 | $268.80 | $4,951.20 | ✓ verified |
1,000 members at $29.00/month
| Platform (best plan) | Gross | Platform plan + fees | Processing | Net / month | Data |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Memberful (Standard) | $29,000.00 | $1,470.00 | $1,141.00 | $26,389.00 | ✓ verified |
| Substack (Paid subscriptions) | $29,000.00 | $2,900.00 | $1,344.00 | $24,756.00 | ✓ verified |
Try your own numbers in the calculator → · Full details: Memberful pricing, Substack pricing.
Memberful plans
| Plan | Billed annually | Billed monthly | Platform fee | Payment processing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Standard | not listed | $49.00/mo ✓ verified | 4.9% ✓ verified | 2.9% + $0.30 ✓ verified |
Sources and notes
Notes
- A failed $49.00 payment raises Memberful's transaction fee from 4.9% to 12.5% (per Memberful's docs).
- Memberful runs on Stripe only. Stripe's fee varies by country; the US rate is used here.
- Payment processing: US domestic card. Memberful's docs note that Stripe fees vary by country.
Sources
- https://memberful.com/pricing/ · verified 2026-10-18 · ✓ verified
- https://stripe.com/pricing · verified 2026-10-18 · ✓ verified
Substack plans
| Plan | Billed annually | Billed monthly | Platform fee | Payment processing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paid subscriptions | $0.00/mo ✓ verified | $0.00/mo ✓ verified | 10% ✓ verified | 3.6% + $0.30 ✓ verified |
Sources and notes
Notes
- Processing is Stripe's card fee (2.9% + $0.30) plus Stripe Billing (0.7%), or 3.6% + $0.30 per payment on US cards.
- Subscriptions bought in the iOS app may cost readers more to cover Apple's fees. This is not included.
- Payment processing: Stripe card fee of 2.9% + $0.30 plus 0.7% for Stripe Billing.
Sources
- https://support.substack.com/hc/en-us/articles/360037607131-How-much-does-Substack-cost · verified 2026-10-18 · ✓ verified
Frequently asked questions
Which keeps more at 50 members paying $19.00/month, Memberful or Substack?
Memberful (Standard) keeps about $811.90 per month, versus about $805.80 for Substack (Paid subscriptions), using the best plan of each. This follows the assumptions on the method page.
Which keeps more at 200 members paying $29.00/month, Memberful or Substack?
Memberful (Standard) keeps about $5,238.60 per month, versus about $4,951.20 for Substack (Paid subscriptions), using the best plan of each. This follows the assumptions on the method page.
Which keeps more at 1,000 members paying $29.00/month, Memberful or Substack?
Memberful (Standard) keeps about $26,389.00 per month, versus about $24,756.00 for Substack (Paid subscriptions), using the best plan of each. This follows the assumptions on the method page.