Skip to main content
Email Marketing

SparkPost vs Substack: Pricing Comparison 2026

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

Bottom line: Substack starts at $5/mo, making it $44/mo cheaper than SparkPost ($49/mo). SparkPost offers a free plan.

Last updated: March 16, 2026

Data compiled by Arthur Jacquemin
Updated March 16, 2026

SparkPost vs Substack: Quick Pricing Facts

FeatureSparkPostSubstack
Starting Price$49/mo$5/mo
Number of Plans37
Free TierYesYes
Pricing Modelusage-basedusage-based
Annual DiscountN/AN/A

Substack is the more affordable option, starting at $5/mo compared to SparkPost's $49/mo. Both are Email Marketing tools with 10 combined pricing plans and 39 features compared.

Both tools offer free plans, making them accessible for teams on a budget.

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
SparkPost
SparkPost
Try it free
Substack
Substack
Try it free
Tier 1
Free
$0/monthCheapest
Includes
  • 15 AI agent messages/day
  • 10 emails/day
  • 5 SMS/day
  • Company intelligence
  • Public API access
Start with Free
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
Pro
$49/month
Includes
  • Unlimited AI agent messages
  • 10,000 emails/month
  • 1,000 SMS/month
  • CRM + pipeline management
  • Workflow automation
  • Team collaboration
Start with Pro
Basic
$5/monthCheapest
$5 / year
Includes
  • Earn from 50 subscribers
  • Keep 90% of revenue
  • Direct payments from subscribers
Start with Basic
Tier 3
Enterprise
Custom pricing
Includes
  • Everything in Pro
  • Unlimited channels
  • Custom AI agents
  • SSO / SAML
  • Dedicated support
  • SLA guarantee
Start with Enterprise
Standard
$7/monthCheapest
$7 / year
Includes
  • Earn from 100 subscribers
  • Keep 90% of revenue
  • Direct payments from subscribers
Start with Standard
Tier 4
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 →

SparkPost

Enterprise email delivery and analytics platform

View all SparkPost 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 $44/mo lower ($5/mo vs $49/mo), offers 7 tiers vs 3.

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 SparkPost if:

  • You prefer SparkPost's free tier features—15 AI agent messages/day, 10 emails/day
  • Your team needs custom enterprise pricing—SparkPost offers negotiated terms for large deployments
  • SparkPost's usage-based pricing lets you match exact team size without tier gaps

Choose Substack if:

  • You want lower per-user costs—Substack starts at $5/mo, saving $44/mo compared to SparkPost at $49/mo
  • You prefer Substack's free tier features—Set up paid subscriptions, Keep 90% of revenue
  • You need 7 pricing tiers for flexible team sizing—more options mean less overpaying for features you don't need
  • You want more features built-in—Substack offers 5 additional features across its plans

Both SparkPost and Substack offer free plans [1], eliminating cost barriers for evaluation. This means you can test both tools thoroughly with your actual workflows before any financial commitment. The free tiers differ in scope: SparkPost includes 5 features, while Substack includes 4 features. Evaluate which free tier matches your evaluation needs before deciding to upgrade. Your best approach is to activate both free trials and evaluate which tool's workflow, integrations, and user experience align better with your team's needs before committing to paid plans.

ShareShare

Frequently Asked Questions: SparkPost vs Substack

Which is cheaper, SparkPost or Substack?
As of March 2026, Substack starts at a lower price point. SparkPost starts at $49/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 SparkPost have vs Substack?
SparkPost offers 3 pricing plans, while Substack offers 7 plans. More plans typically means more flexibility to match your exact needs and budget.
Does SparkPost or Substack offer a free plan?
Yes, both SparkPost and Substack offer free plans. Compare the feature limits of each free tier to see which better fits your use case before upgrading.
Can I save money by paying annually for SparkPost or Substack?
Both SparkPost and Substack offer annual billing options. Check each plan's yearly pricing for potential savings compared to monthly billing.
Does SparkPost or Substack offer custom enterprise pricing?
SparkPost offers a custom-priced enterprise tier for larger teams. Substack lists all its pricing publicly.
How do SparkPost and Substack compare for Email Marketing?
Both SparkPost and Substack are Email Marketing tools. SparkPost offers 3 plans starting at $49/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. SparkPost Official PricingVendor pricing page
  2. Substack Official PricingVendor pricing page

Related Articles

Track Price Changes

Get notified when pricing changes for these tools.