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Litmus vs Substack: Pricing Comparison 2026

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

Bottom line: Litmus starts at Custom pricing and Substack starts at $5/mo. Compare all 12 pricing tiers side by side.

Last updated: March 16, 2026

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

Litmus vs Substack: Quick Pricing Facts

FeatureLitmusSubstack
Starting PriceCustom pricing$5/mo
Number of Plans57
Free TierNoYes
Pricing Modelper-seatusage-based
Annual DiscountN/AN/A

Litmus and Substack are both priced at Custom pricing, making them equally accessible Email Marketing tools. Together they offer 12 pricing plans with 52 features compared, so the best choice comes down to which features match your needs.

Substack stands out with a free plan for getting started. Litmus uses per-seat pricing while Substack uses usage-based pricing, which may affect your total cost at scale.

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
Litmus
Substack
Substack
Try it free
Tier 1
Deliverability upgrade
Custom pricing
Includes
  • Inbox placement insights by mailbox provider
  • 24/7 reputation and deliverability monitoring
  • Deep engagement analytics filtered by platform, location, and mailbox provider
  • Easy tracking of SPF, DKIM, and DMARC results
  • Customizable alerts to react to reputation problems before they impact performance
  • Configurable dashboards to view deliverability and engagement data in one spot
  • Includes access to Everest
Start with Deliverability upgrade
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
Sender Certification upgrade
Custom pricing
Includes
  • 24/7 monitoring of your email sending infrastructure backed by a dedicated compliance team
  • Placement on a trusted allow-list for improved inbox placement and fewer filtering issues
  • Built-in threat protection for high-risk sends and mandated mailing
  • Exclusive data feeds from mailbox providers and security companies
  • Daily and monthly performance reporting delivered to your inbox
Start with Sender Certification upgrade
Basic
$5/monthCheapest
$5 / year
Includes
  • Earn from 50 subscribers
  • Keep 90% of revenue
  • Direct payments from subscribers
Start with Basic
Tier 3
Competitive Intel upgrade
Custom pricing
Includes
  • See when competitors show up in the inbox with visibility into their send volume and frequency
  • Optimize subject lines with confidence by understanding what competitors are using
  • Make smarter strategic decisions using objective insight into what’s working and what’s not across your competitive landscape
  • Get insights into the email practices of best-in-class senders
Start with Competitive Intel upgrade
Standard
$7/monthCheapest
$7 / year
Includes
  • Earn from 100 subscribers
  • Keep 90% of revenue
  • Direct payments from subscribers
Start with Standard
Tier 4
Email Guardian upgrade
Custom pricing
Includes
  • Notifications for client changes, broken links, or image issues to protect subscriber experience and brand reputation
  • 24/7 monitoring for automated sends and frequently used email templates
  • Peace of mind knowing your most important emails are constantly protected and ready to drive revenue
Start with Email Guardian upgrade
Advanced
$10/monthCheapest
$10 / year
Includes
  • Earn from 200 subscribers
  • Keep 90% of revenue
  • Direct payments from subscribers
Start with Advanced
Tier 5
Litmus Enterprise
Custom pricing
Includes
  • Unlimited seats and usage!
  • Automated QA checks and previews on 100+ email clients and devices
  • Easy-to-use email builder–with or without code
  • Personalization templates for custom images, countdown timers, and more
  • Customizable email testing profiles
  • Code editor integrations to test where you build
  • All-in-one collaboration and review hub
  • More Personalize features like custom scratch-offs and rule-based images
  • Enterprise-level ESP integrations
  • Advanced security settings and user permissions
  • Unique email analytics and insights you won’t find in your ESP alone
Start with Litmus Enterprise
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 →

Litmus

Email testing, analytics, and collaboration for email teams

View all Litmus plans

Substack

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

View all Substack plans
Our Pick

Substack

Substack offers a free plan, offers 7 tiers vs 5.

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 Litmus if:

  • •You want more features built-in—Litmus offers 8 additional features across its plans
  • •Your team needs custom enterprise pricing—Litmus offers negotiated terms for large deployments
  • •You prioritize Litmus's user experience and interface over price (both tools are similarly priced)

Choose Substack if:

  • •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
  • •You prioritize Substack's user experience and interface over price (both tools are similarly priced)

Substack offers a free plan [1], eliminating the cost barrier for evaluation, while Litmus requires paid subscription from the start. This gives Substack a significant advantage for teams with budget constraints or extended trial periods. Once you outgrow Substack's free tier, upgrading to a paid plan at approximately $5/mo provides substantial additional functionality. Compare this pricing path against Litmus' tiering starting at Custom pricing to assess total cost of ownership over 12 months. Substack's 7 tiers provide flexibility at different budgets, while Litmus' 5 tiers structure may force you into higher-cost plans than necessary for your use case. If evaluation cost matters to your decision, Substack is the obvious starting point with zero financial commitment. Use the free tier to validate core functionality before committing to paid plans from either tool.

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Frequently Asked Questions: Litmus vs Substack

How many pricing plans does Litmus have vs Substack?
Litmus offers 5 pricing plans, while Substack offers 7 plans. More plans typically means more flexibility to match your exact needs and budget.
Does Litmus or Substack offer a free plan?
Substack offers a free plan, while Litmus does not. If budget is a concern, Substack lets you get started at no cost.
Can I save money by paying annually for Litmus or Substack?
Both Litmus and Substack offer annual billing options. Check each plan's yearly pricing for potential savings compared to monthly billing.
Does Litmus or Substack offer custom enterprise pricing?
Litmus offers a custom-priced enterprise tier for larger teams. Substack lists all its pricing publicly.
What pricing models do Litmus and Substack use?
Litmus uses a per-seat pricing model, while Substack uses usage-based pricing. The right model depends on your team size and usage patterns.
How do Litmus and Substack compare for Email Marketing?
Both Litmus and Substack are Email Marketing tools. Litmus offers 5 plans starting at Custom pricing, 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. Litmus Official Pricing— Vendor pricing page
  2. Substack Official Pricing— Vendor pricing page

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