Free Calculator · Updated August 2026
How much does Substack actually take?
Calculate Substack's platform fee and estimated Stripe fees based on your paid subscribers and subscription price.
Calculate your Substack fees
Estimate how much Substack and Stripe could take from your paid newsletter revenue.
Estimated annual fees
$1,666
About 17.4% of your gross paid revenue
Gross annual revenue
$9,600
Estimated revenue after fees
$7,934
Estimate uses Substack's standard 10% platform fee and standard U.S. Stripe card pricing. Actual fees can vary by country, payment method, currency and other factors.
Why does this matter?
Substack is free to publish on, but paid newsletters normally pay a percentage of subscription revenue. As your paid newsletter grows, that percentage can become a meaningful expense.
Could another platform cost less?
Potentially. NewsletterFit compares Substack with Beehiiv, Kit and Ghost using your audience size, paid subscribers and expected growth.
Compare My Platforms →This calculator currently uses standard U.S. Stripe card pricing. Fees can differ by country and payment method. Some countries may also have temporary exceptions to Substack's standard application fee.
NewsletterFit is an independent comparison tool and is not affiliated with Substack or Stripe.