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Campaign Monitor vs Substack: Pricing Comparison 2026

Side-by-side pricing comparison of Campaign Monitor and Substack. See all plans, features, and costs at a glance.

Bottom line: Substack starts at $5/mo, making it $5/mo cheaper than Campaign Monitor ($10/mo). Substack offers a free plan.

Last updated: March 16, 2026

Data compiled by Arthur Jacquemin
Updated March 16, 2026
Try Campaign Monitor freeTry Substack free

Campaign Monitor vs Substack: Quick Pricing Facts

FeatureCampaign MonitorSubstack
Starting Price$10/mo$5/mo
Number of Plans47
Free TierNoYes
Pricing Modelusage-basedusage-based
Annual DiscountN/AN/A

Substack is the more affordable option, starting at $5/mo compared to Campaign Monitor's $10/mo. Both are Email Marketing tools with 11 combined pricing plans and 46 features compared.

Substack stands out with a free plan for getting started.

Review the detailed tier-by-tier comparison above to see exactly which features are included at each price point and find the best fit for your Email Marketing needs.

Pricing Plans
Campaign Monitor
Campaign Monitor
Try it free
Substack
Substack
Try it free
Tier 1
Lite
$10/month
Includes
  • 5x subscriber emails/month
  • Select core features like custom coded templates and unlimited signup forms
  • Advanced email features like AI Writer, automated emails access, pre-built journeys, and transactional emails
  • Option to purchase drag-and-drop website builder
Start with Lite
Free
$0/monthCheapest
Includes
  • Set up paid subscriptions
  • Keep 90% of revenue
  • Own your content
  • Choose free or paid posts
Start with Free
Tier 2
EssentialsPopular
$21/month
Includes
  • Unlimited email sends
  • Priority level support
  • All core features included
  • Unlimited access to AI-powered email features
  • Unlimited automated emails
  • Inbox preview
  • Option to purchase additional advanced feature access like non-human click filter, engagement segments, countdown timer, and time zone sending
Start with Essentials
Basic
$5/monthCheapest
$5 / year
Includes
  • Earn from 50 subscribers
  • Keep 90% of revenue
  • Direct payments from subscribers
Start with Basic
Tier 3
Premier
$119/month
Includes
  • Premier level support, including phone support
  • Advanced, pre-built engagement segments
  • Send time optimization
  • Email section locking
  • Advanced link tracking
  • Template management for teams
  • Drag-and-drop website builder included
Start with Premier
Standard
$7/monthCheapest
$7 / year
Includes
  • Earn from 100 subscribers
  • Keep 90% of revenue
  • Direct payments from subscribers
Start with Standard
Tier 4
Enterprise
Custom pricing
Includes
  • Custom annual contract with predictable, consolidated billing
  • Dedicated account manager and customer success partner
  • Multi-brand and multi-team account management
  • Proactive deliverability monitoring and expert optimization
  • Quarterly business reviews with strategic insights
  • Enterprise-grade security (GDPR, SOC2) with custom DPAs and invoice/PO billing
Start with Enterprise
Advanced
$10/monthCheapest
$10 / year
Includes
  • Earn from 200 subscribers
  • Keep 90% of revenue
  • Direct payments from subscribers
Start with Advanced
Tier 5
—
Pro
$15/monthCheapest
$15 / year
Includes
  • Earn from 400 subscribers
  • Keep 90% of revenue
  • Direct payments from subscribers
Start with Pro
Tier 6
—
Premium
$30/monthCheapest
$30 / year
Includes
  • Earn from 800 subscribers
  • Keep 90% of revenue
  • Direct payments from subscribers
Start with Premium
Tier 7
—
Enterprise
$75/monthCheapest
$75 / year
Includes
  • Earn from 2000 subscribers
  • Keep 90% of revenue
  • Direct payments from subscribers
Start with Enterprise

Swipe to compare plans →

Campaign Monitor

Email marketing with branded templates and analytics

View all Campaign Monitor plans

Substack

Newsletter and publishing platform with paid subscriptions (10% cut)

View all Substack plans
Our Pick

Substack

Substack offers a free plan, starts at $5/mo lower ($5/mo vs $10/mo), offers 7 tiers vs 4.

Based on pricing data only. Review the full comparison below for your specific needs.

Best value: Substack

Try Substack free

Which Should You Choose?

Choose Campaign Monitor if:

  • •You want more features built-in—Campaign Monitor offers 2 additional features across its plans
  • •Your team needs custom enterprise pricing—Campaign Monitor offers negotiated terms for large deployments
  • •You prioritize Campaign Monitor's user experience and interface over price (both tools are similarly priced)

Choose Substack if:

  • •You want lower per-user costs—Substack starts at $5/mo, saving $5/mo compared to Campaign Monitor at $10/mo
  • •You need a free plan with Set up paid subscriptions, Keep 90% of revenue—Substack offers no-cost access with no credit card required
  • •You need 7 pricing tiers for flexible team sizing—more options mean less overpaying for features you don't need

Substack is the more affordable choice [1], starting at $5/mo compared to Campaign Monitor's $10/mo. For a 50-person team on paid plans, this translates to Substack saving approximately $250/month. Substack offers 7 pricing tiers compared to Campaign Monitor's 4, giving you more granular control over scaling costs as your team grows. Across all tiers, Substack provides 22 total features versus 24 for Campaign Monitor, offering a more focused toolset depending on your specific needs. If controlling SaaS spend is a priority, Substack offers the better cost-to-value ratio. Consider Campaign Monitor only if its unique capabilities directly address a gap Substack cannot fill.

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Frequently Asked Questions: Campaign Monitor vs Substack

Which is cheaper, Campaign Monitor or Substack?
As of March 2026, Substack starts at a lower price point. Campaign Monitor starts at $10/mo while Substack starts at $5/mo. However, the best value depends on the features you need at each tier.
How many pricing plans does Campaign Monitor have vs Substack?
Campaign Monitor offers 4 pricing plans, while Substack offers 7 plans. More plans typically means more flexibility to match your exact needs and budget.
Does Campaign Monitor or Substack offer a free plan?
Substack offers a free plan, while Campaign Monitor does not. If budget is a concern, Substack lets you get started at no cost.
Can I save money by paying annually for Campaign Monitor or Substack?
Both Campaign Monitor and Substack offer annual billing options. Check each plan's yearly pricing for potential savings compared to monthly billing.
What is the most popular Campaign Monitor plan?
The Essentials plan is Campaign Monitor's most popular tier, priced at $21/mo. Key features include Unlimited email sends, Priority level support, All core features included.
Does Campaign Monitor or Substack offer custom enterprise pricing?
Campaign Monitor offers a custom-priced enterprise tier for larger teams. Substack lists all its pricing publicly.
How do Campaign Monitor and Substack compare for Email Marketing?
Both Campaign Monitor and Substack are Email Marketing tools. Campaign Monitor offers 4 plans starting at $10/mo, while Substack offers 7 plans starting at $5/mo. Review the feature breakdowns above to see which better fits your Email Marketing needs.

Sources

  1. Campaign Monitor Official Pricing— Vendor pricing page
  2. Substack Official Pricing— Vendor pricing page

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