VS.

STEADY VS SUBSTACK

STEADY VS SUBSTACK

Which is better for content creators in 2024?

Which is better for content creators in 2024?

Thinking about switching to Steady? Not sure which platform is best for building an audience or driving revenue? We’ll dive into the details, comparing these two membership platforms and exploring the pros and cons of each.


Just like apples and oranges, Substack and Steady are similar enough to be comparable – but they’re ultimately geared towards two different audiences and use cases. By the end of this article, we’ll help you decide whether to choose Steady or Substack for your media business

Thinking about switching to Steady? Not sure which platform is best for building an audience or driving revenue? We’ll dive into the details, comparing these two membership platforms and exploring the pros and cons of each.


Just like apples and oranges, Substack and Steady are similar enough to be comparable – but they’re ultimately geared towards two different audiences and use cases. By the end of this article, we’ll help you decide whether to choose Steady or Substack for your media business

What is Substack

Substack is one of the largest email newsletter platforms. The US-based company launched in 2017 and exploded in popularity as a platform for writers, journalists and cultural commentators. Substack lets you post articles for free on your profile page (on Substack’s website). When you hit publish, these are then mailed out like a newsletter to your subscribers. You can also paywall your content by adding subscriptions for premium articles.


If you’re a writer, Substack makes a lot of sense. The platform is heavily geared towards writing, with the option to embed images, videos and audio – much like a hybrid between a blog and a newsletter. If someone subscribes to your profile, they’ll receive your articles direct to their inbox whenever you publish. Readers can also discover new writers through Substack’s discovery feed or app, which can make it a good way to build a community. 


The bottom line:

Substack is great for writers who want a free turnkey platform to publish newsletter articles, grow their audience and attract paid subscribers.

What is Steady

Founded in 2016, Steady is a Berlin-based membership platform that’s popular with European media makers who want to build communities across multiple channels. Just like Substack, it’s easy to start a free newsletter/blog and add paywalls to build a membership community. However, that’s where the similarities end. If you’re publishing different kinds of media or have an audience across more than one channel (for instance, a podcast on Spotify and a newsletter on Mailchimp), then Steady comes into its own


There’s also a difference in ethos between the two platforms. Steady’s white-label approach is all about connecting media makers directly to their audiences, putting the spotlight on your brand. In other words, Steady is the engine behind the scenes and not a destination for members. Whereas Substack is a media publisher, therefore readers engage with Substack and find their favourite writers through the platform. 


The bottom line:

Steady is great for EU-based media makers who publish across multiple channels and want a direct relationship with their membership community.

Key features

Free newsletter tool

Publish articles as newsletters

Personalised audio RSS feed for
members-only content

Spotify integration for subscription content

Collect payments directly on your website

Paywall integration on your website to attract
paying members

Adblock detection

Overlay feature to promote your project when a site visitor is using an ad blocker

Drip Campaigns

Automated Email Marketing for abandoned carts, unsubscribes and more

Option to create unlimited paid tiers for members

VAT calculated and managed automatically

Annual plans 

Membership analytics

Comment and reaction features on posts

Support with growing your membership 

Pros and cons

Everyone has different priorities and needs from a membership platform, so we’ve rounded up some of the most requested features and topics that might swing you one way or the other. Just remember, some might be more important to you than others depending on the stage of your business and your location.

1. Ease & Simplicity

2. Managing Payments

3. Community Building

4. Network Effect

5. Brand Personalisation

6. Customer Support

7. Localisation Features

Pros and cons

Everyone has different priorities and needs from a membership platform, so we’ve rounded up some of the most requested features and topics that might swing you one way or the other. Just remember, some might be more important to you than others depending on the stage of your business and your location.

1. Ease & Simplicity

2. Managing Payments

3. Community Building

4. Network Effect

5. Brand Personalisation

6. Customer Support

7. Localisation Features

Pros and cons

Everyone has different priorities and needs from a membership platform, so we’ve rounded up some of the most requested features and topics that might swing you one way or the other. Just remember, some might be more important to you than others depending on the stage of your business and your location.

1. Ease & Simplicity

2. Managing Payments

3. Community Building

4. Network Effect

5. Brand Personalisation

6. Customer Support

7. Localisation Features

Pros and cons

Everyone has different priorities and needs from a membership platform, so we’ve rounded up some of the most requested features and topics that might swing you one way or the other. Just remember, some might be more important to you than others depending on the stage of your business and your location.

1. Ease & Simplicity

2. Managing Payments

3. Community Building

4. Network Effect

5. Brand Personalisation

6. Customer Support

7. Localisation Features

Comparing revenue fees

Which platform gives you the highest payout? Steady and Substack both charge 10% of revenue, but the additional payment fees are slightly different. 

To illustrate how this stacks up in the real world, here’s a quick example of how much money a media maker will keep after commission and transaction fees, depending on which membership platform they choose.

Let’s imagine Sandra is a writer who lives in Italy and starts a membership programme for her newsletter. A quarter of her members are in the UK, and the rest are in Italy. Say she earns 2,492.27 EUR (gross) from 686 membership payments in one month. How much will Steady and Substack take in transaction fees and commission?

Fees

Commission 10%

249€

Transaction

25€

Withdrawal

0

Conversion

0

Earnings €

2217

Commission 10%

249€

Transaction

25€

Withdrawal

0

Conversion

0

Earnings €

2217

Commission 10%

249€

Transaction

25€

Withdrawal

0

Conversion

0

Earnings €

2217

Commission 10%

249.24€

Transaction

108.02€

Withdrawal

0

Conversion

213.25€

Earnings €

2001.04

Commission 10%

249.24€

Transaction

108.02€

Withdrawal

0

Conversion

213.25€

Earnings €

2001.04

Commission 10%

249.24€

Transaction

108.02€

Withdrawal

0

Conversion

213.25€

Earnings €

2001.04

What else...

Integrations and add-ons

Substack is a closed system designed as a stand-alone newsletter platform. It does offer an HTML sign-up box that you can post on your website and some other limited integrations. However, Substack’s appeal is a seamless user experience where content creators can focus on writing. If you’re building an independent media business or looking for a solution that integrates with other tools you use, there are better options out there. 


Steady is almost the opposite in that it’s designed to connect with your existing ecosystem. In fact, Steady integrates with thousands of lead-gen and productivity tools – from WordPress to MailChimp, Spotify and more. Think of Steady as one CRM for everything.


The winner:

Steady. Although, how important integrations are to you will obviously depend on the other tools you use to run your business.

Substack controversy

There are plenty of news articles that cover Substack’s anti-censorship stance in more depth. However, we’ve included a brief mention here because it provoked such a strong response from many media makers who currently use Substack.


Part of Substack’s appeal is that they empower a diverse range of voices on their platform. One of their core values is “freedom of expression to share thoughts and ideas without censorship”. However, towards the end of 2023, Substack faced a revolt over their anti-censorship stance


The Atlantic published an investigation into the growing networks of white nationalists, antisemitic and neo-Nazi blogs on Substack. After being publicly criticised for profiting from hate speech, Substack has stated that they don’t think censorship or demonetising these platforms is the answer. This sparked a backlash with many prominent content creators, including technology journalist Casey Newton, threatening to boycott the platform. 


Substack remains a popular site for writers, journalists and cultural commentators; however, this controversy has led to many independent media makers looking to other membership platforms

Migrating to Steady or Substack

If you already have an audience, how easy is it to switch to a new membership platform? Both Steady and Substack make it easy to import your mailing list in minutes. Regardless of whether you choose Steady or Substack, you legally own your content and contacts.


Substack supports imports from other popular platforms including Mailchimp, Beehiiv, Ghost, WordPress, Medium and others. Similarly, Steady also makes it easy to import existing members from these platforms and more with full GDPR compliance. 


The winner:

Draw. Both platforms make it easy to migrate your content and contacts.

THE VERDICT

Both platforms have their merits, but Steady stands out. If you’re in Europe, publish on multiple platforms, and want full control over your brand, Steady is your best bet. Come on over to Steady and take your independent media to the next level!