***Please note that this I Use WordPress & Substack: Which Is Better?! (2026 Edition) review will be updated and recirculated periodically to reflect the most up-to-date information. This WordPress vs Substack review was most recently updated as of October 2026.***
As someone who proudly uses both WordPress AND Substack, I am here to answer the question many of y’all may be wondering: WordPress vs Substack – which is better?!
*Disclaimer: Please note that this post contains affiliate links, which means that if you purchase through one of my links, then I will receive a small commission. This commission is at no extra cost to you. Additionally, this post is not sponsored, and all opinions are my own.*
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I Use WordPress & Substack: Which Is Better?! (2026 Edition)
Table of Contents
All About WordPress
All About Substack
Pros of WordPress
Pros of Substack
Cons of WordPress
Cons of Substack
WordPress vs Substack: Which Is Better?!
A Final Reminder
All About WordPress
WordPress is a free, open-source Content Management System which allows its users to build and manage websites without writing code. Today, WordPress powers over 43% of all websites on the internet, whether it be a blog to massive online storefronts.
WordPress allows its users to claim their own home on the web and offers features such as growing a newsletter, purchasing a website domain, utilizing several of its in-house themes to build your website, and more.
Check out WordPress and all that it has to offer here.
All About Substack
Substack is a well-known hybrid publishing platform allowing independent writers, journalists, creators, and entrepreneurs to send newsletters directly to their subscribers’ email inboxes whilst also hosting a web-based version of their content. Substack is unique in that it blends basic elements of email marketing, micro-blogging, and membership sites – all into one streamlined network.
A unique feature of Substack is that it allows its publishers to set up a variety of membership models at different tiers – including a variety of paid tiers and free tiers, with paid tiers receiving more exclusive content.
Check out Substack and all that it has to offer here.
Pros of WordPress
Boasting several customization and user control to its website owners (such as you and me), WordPress has several Pros to it, including:
- Complete ownership – you fully own your website, data, and files
- Massive ecosystem – get access to 65,000+ plugins and thousands of themes to add any website feature at your fingertips
- SEO mastery – out-of-the-box architecture on WordPress-built websites is highly favored by search engine crawlers (such as Google and Bing)
- Deep customization – on select WordPress plans, code-level control gives you the opportunity to modify the underlying HTML, CSS, and PHP code
- NO licensing fees – WordPress’s core software is open-source and 10000% free to use
Pros of Substack
Substack creates a highly accessible and user-friendly way for publishers to share and create content in a newsletter-like fashion amongst its other Pros, including:
- Zero initial setup cost – Substack is 10000% free to launch a publication, build an email list, and send unlimited newsletters without paying monthly hosting fees
- Built-in network effects – the in-house recommendation network, in-app feed, and social media-like “Notes” features provides writers the opportunity to receive organic traffic from fellow creators cross-promoting their work
- Audience ownership – you have 100000% control over your email data and can export your subscriber list at any time if you choose to switch platforms
- Low tech barrier – Substack handles ALLLL the technical maintenance, formatting, deliverability, and payment processing with no coding skills needed
- Flexible multimedia support – Substack natively supports long-form text, community chat features, podcast hosting, and direct audio narrations, ALL within a single post
Cons of WordPress
With a lot of autonomy and ownership placed on the WordPress user, the platform also comes with a list related Cons, including:
- Maintenance overhead – you are 10000% responsible for regular core, theme, and plugin updates on your website
- Security risks – due to WordPress’s massive popularity, unfortunately, it is a frequent target for hackers exploiting weak plugins
- Performance bloat – using LOTS of plugins and/or poor code can heavily degrade your website’s speed and ultimately affect its SEO ranking, pageviews, and ultimate performance
- Plugin conflicts – poorly coded updates can trigger technical conflicts, which could ultimately crash pages on your website
Cons of Substack
While Substack has an easy barrier to create and publish on in a unique multi-faceted way, the platform does come with some Cons, including:
- High long-term cost – in lieu of a flat fee, Substack takes a 10% cut of all subscription revenue (in addition to standard Stripe credit card processing fees)
- Minimal customization – design options are a LOT more constrained, which makes it tough to establish unique visual branding outside of standard layouts, fonts, and basic color accents
- No marketing automation – unlike other email marketing platforms, Substack lacks critical email marketing tools like automated welcome sequences, list segmentation, visual funnels, and advanced A/B testing
- Monetization monoculture – revenue streams are heavily tied to user subscriptions as Substack doesn’t support third-party ad networks or digital product sales without external integrations
- Audience saturation – at its core, Substack heavily relies on reading which can make it quite a slow process to grow unless you have an existing audience or consistently output high-value niche insights
WordPress vs Substack: Which Is Better?!
As someone who uses WordPress and Substack and is wondering whether or not to use WordPress vs Substack, I think that a mixture of BOTH is the best path forward!
Here’s Why!
Both WordPress and Substack offer options to monetize especially as you grow on each platform. Although the options vary between WordPress (via ads, digital products, affiliates, and sponsorships) and Substack (via the potential to offer paid subscriptions, affiliates, and sponsorships), each platform differs in how they reach consumers and the autonomy that you have as the platform owner.
As we all know, with a WordPress website, you OWN your website AND your email list, with a Substack site, you DO NOT own your website, but you DO own your email list.
That being said …
With WordPress, WordPress does not own your website, YOU DO! WordPress simply acts as a platform where you can manage, design, and publish content on your website. If you decide to publish a post on your website, then it will live on your website as long as you so choose to keep it there AND be visible for others to view it, gain information, and allow you to generate income through ads, affiliates, and more. WordPress content is evergreen content for the long haul.
With Substack, Substack owns your website and the admin of Substack has every right to do as they please with the platform as it evolves. Meaning, your site on Substack could be removed and Substack’s admin could propose changes to the platform that can and will affect your site over time including paid subscriptions, its algorithm, and more. Substack content is excellent content that people will read as they receive it within the platform, through social media, or their email inbox but rather for the shorter term.
The Final Verdict
Personally, I feel that WordPress and Substack each have their own strengths in terms of long-form content that makes for a great team of platforms to reach users and generate income. And, when paired together, both WordPress and Substack can leave a lasting mark for any aspiring blogger’s income, career, and platform.
How I Use WordPress & Substack
For me, I use WordPress as my main website and platform as I own it, and I use Substack as my email newsletter platform to engage with my existing audience of loyal readers and expand my audience to reach new loyal readers.
SO, I use my Substack to share content and treat it like a personal newsletter. I share content on my Substack that I would LOVE to personally write (with my readers in mind of course) that wouldn’t necessarily perform well on WordPress. On Substack, content that has a bit more of a personal feel tends to excel. Whereas, on WordPress, content that has more of a benefit to the consumer tends to excel.
One of the BEST benefits of using Substack?! A Substack site doubles as a linking domain to add backlinks to your WordPress site/blog. Which, in terms of SEO, is a GREAT thing to help with your rankings on Google and ultimately drive more readers to your WordPress site which also means more money in your bank account in the long run!
I LOVE to write both personal and consumer beneficial content that will ultimately help me grow as a blogger, SO both WordPress and Substack act as the “Dream Team.”
A Final Reminder
Before I wrap up this WordPress vs Substack review, I wanted to share a final reminder that I see ALL over social media platforms (shout-out to my fellow friends on Threads on this one!!) that … a Substack is NOT a blog! I repeat: a Substack is NOT a blog!
Substack is, in fact, just another social media platform but for long-form content. And, like Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and TikTok, Substack has algorithms that will ultimately decide the fate of how well your content performs on the platform. Hence, why I feel that Substack is an excellent platform to share your content from your WordPress website, to connect with a smaller audience of more loyal readers, and to be more authentic.
On the other hand, a WordPress website IS a blog! And, a WordPress website is a blog that relies on search engines such as Google, Pinterest, and occasionally social media platforms to generate readers. It is a lifelong website that does not fall victim to the ever-changing evolution of social media algorithms and more. You own your WordPress website, which includes YOUR autonomy and power, NOT someone else’s.
Above all else, while a Substack isn’t necessarily the best platform (in my opinion!) to put all of your blogging eggs into, it is an excellent spot to nurture and grow your existing audience of loyal readers.
Wrap-Up
As a full-time blogger and content creator, I’ve found joy in using both WordPress and Substack! Personally, I find it fun to use WordPress and Substack in different ways. BUT, when used together, it truly is (as cheesy as it may sound!), the best of both worlds!
XOXO – Katie <3
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