Sendy vs Substack
Sendy is a email marketing platform while Substack is a newsletter platform. Sendy has been around since 2012, giving it a 5-year head start over Substack (founded 2017). Substack starts at free versus $69 one-time for Sendy. Substack offers a free plan (Unlimited subscribers, unlimited emails, all core features free — Substack only charges when you earn), while Sendy does not. Sendy has the edge with marketing automation, API access, audience segmentation.
Quick Verdict
Sendy wins on integrations.
Substack wins on price, rating, free tier.
Best for most users: Substack (independent writers and journalists).
Sendy
Self-hosted email marketing that sends via Amazon SES at 100x lower cost
Sendy is a self-hosted email newsletter application that connects to Amazon SES to deliver emails at a fraction of the cost of traditional email marketing platforms. With a one-time $69 license and SES sending costs of roughly $1 per 10,000 emails, it is ideal for high-volume senders who want to avoid recurring subscription fees. It requires technical setup but offers unlimited subscribers, autoresponders, segmentation, and full data ownership.
Substack
The newsletter platform where writers build independent media businesses
Substack is the dominant newsletter platform that uniquely combines free publishing tools with a 10% revenue-share model, letting writers launch subscription-based media businesses with zero upfront cost. Beyond newsletters, it has evolved into a full creator ecosystem with podcasts, video, livestreaming, Notes (microblogging), and community Chat, backed by a powerful built-in discovery network that helps writers find audiences organically.
Feature Comparison
| Feature | Sendy | Substack |
|---|---|---|
| Rating | 4.2/5 | 4.4/5 |
| Starting Price | $69 | Free |
| Free Plan | No free plan | Unlimited subscribers, unlimited emails, all core features free — Substack only charges when you earn |
| Founded | 2012 | 2017 |
| Email Templates | 0 | 1 |
| Integrations | 20 | 0 |
| Deliverability Rate | 95% | 95% |
| Marketing Automation | ✓ | ✕ |
| A/B Testing | ✕ | ✕ |
| Landing Pages | ✕ | ✕ |
| Segmentation | ✓ | ✕ |
| Drag & Drop Editor | ✕ | ✕ |
| SMS Marketing | ✕ | ✕ |
| Ecommerce Features | ✕ | ✕ |
| API Access | ✓ | ✕ |
| Multi-Language | ✕ | ✕ |
| Web Push Notifications | ✕ | ✕ |
| Live Chat | ✕ | ✕ |
| Advanced Analytics | ✕ | ✕ |
Sendy: Pros & Cons
Pros
- +Extreme cost savings — one-time $69 license with Amazon SES sending at ~$1 per 10,000 emails
- +Unlimited subscribers with no tier-based pricing that punishes list growth
- +Full data ownership and privacy since everything is self-hosted on your own server
- +Clean, focused interface without bloated features — does exactly what it promises
- +White-label multi-brand support allows managing multiple client accounts from one install
Cons
- −Requires technical skills for server setup, installation, and ongoing maintenance
- −No built-in A/B testing, landing page builder, or advanced automation workflows
- −UI feels dated and lacks modern design polish compared to SaaS competitors
- −Limited customer support — solo developer product with slow response times reported
- −No drag-and-drop email editor; requires HTML knowledge for custom templates
Substack: Pros & Cons
Pros
- +Completely free to start with no upfront costs — zero barrier to entry with all core publishing features available immediately
- +Built-in audience discovery network with Recommendations and Notes driving organic subscriber growth (users report gaining 1,000+ subscribers through Recommendations alone)
- +True content ownership: creators can export their full subscriber list and content at any time to migrate elsewhere
- +Multimedia platform supporting newsletters, podcasts, video, livestreaming, Notes, and Chat communities in a single integrated experience
- +Strong reader engagement with genuine community interaction through comments, Chat, and Notes — higher engagement rates than typical social media platforms
Cons
- −The 10% platform fee plus Stripe's ~2.9% + $0.30 per transaction creates a 13-16% total take rate that becomes very expensive at scale (e.g., $1,300-$1,600/month on $10K revenue)
- −No email marketing automation, segmentation, A/B testing, or advanced personalization — all subscribers receive identical emails with no conditional logic
- −No public API and zero native third-party integrations — cannot connect to CRMs, e-commerce platforms, Zapier, or other marketing tools
- −Limited design customization with a single standardized template — no drag-and-drop editor, no custom HTML, and minimal branding options
- −Platform can remove content or delete accounts without notice, and customer support is difficult to reach for issue resolution
The Verdict
Substack edges ahead with a 4.4/5 rating compared to Sendy's 4.2/5. The gap comes mainly from value for money (4.9 vs 4.3) and ease of use (4.3 vs 3.9).
| Criterion | Weight | Sendy | Substack |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starting Price | 30% | $69/mo | Free |
| Deliverability | 25% | 95% | 95% |
| Rating | 25% | 4.2/5 | 4.4/5 |
| Integrations | 10% | 20 | 0 |
| Free Tier | 10% | No | Yes |
Weights determine how much each criterion counts toward the final score. See full methodology
Choose Sendy if…
- + You need marketing automation
- + You need API access for custom integrations
- + You're a cost conscious email marketers with large lists
- + You're a technical users comfortable with self hosting and server management
Choose Substack if…
- + You want lower starting costs (Free)
- + You need a free plan to get started
- + You're a independent writers and journalists
- + You're a newsletter creators monetizing through paid subscriptions