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Outseta vs Substack fees
How Outseta 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Outseta (Start) | $950.00 | $56.00 | $42.55 | $851.45 | ? uncertain |
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Outseta (Start) | $5,800.00 | $153.00 | $228.20 | $5,418.80 | ? uncertain |
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Outseta (Scale) | $29,000.00 | $387.00 | $1,141.00 | $27,472.00 | ? uncertain |
| 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: Outseta pricing, Substack pricing.
Outseta plans
| Plan | Billed annually | Billed monthly | Platform fee | Payment processing | Limit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Start | $37.00/mo ? uncertain | $47.00/mo ? uncertain | 2% ✓ verified | 2.9% + $0.30 ✓ verified | 1,000 contacts |
| Scale | $97.00/mo ? uncertain | $127.00/mo ? uncertain | 1% ✓ verified | 2.9% + $0.30 ✓ verified | 10,000 contacts |
| Pro | $197.00/mo ? uncertain | $247.00/mo ? uncertain | 1% ✓ verified | 2.9% + $0.30 ✓ verified | 25,000 contacts |
| Max | $697.00/mo ? uncertain | $897.00/mo ? uncertain | 0% ✓ verified | 2.9% + $0.30 ✓ verified | 100,000 contacts |
Sources and notes
Notes
- Outseta lists two sets of prices ($37.00, $97.00, $197.00, $697.00 and $47.00, $127.00, $247.00, $897.00) without labeling them. The lower set is treated as annual billing and the higher set as monthly billing; this is not confirmed on the page.
- Plans are limited by contacts (1,000, 10,000, 25,000 and 100,000).
- Outseta's pricing page shows 'Scale' and 'Pro' with 1% transaction fees (2% crossed out) and 'Max' with none; the 2% Start fee is shown on the page.
- Payment processing: Outseta's fee is charged on top of Stripe's standard fees (typically 2.9% + $0.30 in the US).
- Platform fee (Pro): Pricing page lists 1% for the Pro plan (2% shown crossed out).
- Platform fee (Max): Outseta's page says transaction fees vanish on Max, and its FAQ mentions a 0% plan for the largest customers.
Sources
- https://www.outseta.com/pricing · verified 2026-10-18 · ✓ verified ? uncertain
- 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, Outseta or Substack?
Outseta (Start) keeps about $851.45 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, Outseta or Substack?
Outseta (Start) keeps about $5,418.80 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, Outseta or Substack?
Outseta (Scale) keeps about $27,472.00 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.