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Indie alternatives to Substack
4 products made by independent developers and small teams that do what Substack does, 3 of them with a free plan. Free and open-source options come first.
At a glance
| Product | Price | Open source | Self-host | Platforms |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| beehiiv | Free plan | – | – | Web |
| Ghost | Free plan | Yes | Yes | Web, Self-hosted, API |
| Kit | Free plan | – | – | Web |
| mataroa | Paid | Yes | – | Web |
The alternatives
Questions
Is there a free alternative to Substack?
Yes. 3 of the 4 indie alternatives listed here have a free plan or are free: beehiiv, Ghost and Kit.
Is there an open-source alternative to Substack?
Ghost and mataroa are open source.
Can I self-host an alternative to Substack?
Yes: Ghost can run on your own server.
What makes these alternatives to Substack “indie”?
They are built by independent developers or small teams rather than large companies. Each one is listed because it does the same core job as Substack.
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