What your platform takes from paid revenue
Short answer
- Substack states 10%. Flat plans cost less above $490/mo (beehiiv Lite), $950/mo (Pro) or $290/mo (Ghost) of paid revenue, card fees equal.
- Kit charges 3.5% + 30¢ including cards; MailerLite Comfort is $17.10/mo at 1,000 subscribers yearly, on an assumed 0% share.
- One list size (1,000), yearly prices, Stripe assumed where unstated. Skool rows are lower bounds.
Fees modeled from each vendor’s own page, checked October 24, 2026 and October 25, 2026. Larger lists, add-ons and processor terms change the total and are not modeled here.
Card processing assumption (edit if your rate differs)
Default = Stripe’s published US card rate (“2.9% + 30¢ per successful transaction for domestic cards”, stripe.com/pricing, checked October 24, 2026).
Newsletter plan prices are each vendor’s monthly-equivalent at 1,000 subscribers, billed yearly; larger lists cost more and are not modeled. Each result says where its card-processing figure comes from: vendor-stated, vendor-published, included in the vendor’s fee, an assumption (tagged “processor rate assumed”) that uses the editable rate on the left, or not stated (tagged “processing not stated”; none is added). This is arithmetic on published rates, not a quote. Formulas & limits.
The one number most creators are looking for
Substack vs flat-fee plans
Substack states a 10% share of paid revenue and no monthly fee. A flat-fee plan wins once 10% of your monthly paid revenue passes the plan’s price: $290/mo vs Ghost Publisher, $490/mo vs beehiiv Lite, $950/mo vs beehiiv Pro (card fees treated as equal).
Kit’s different shape
Kit charges 3.5% + 30¢ per sale, card fees included, on every plan including Free. Against Substack’s 10% + card fees, Kit’s paid Creator plan ($32.50/mo from its $390 yearly invoice; Kit displays $33) costs less above about $345.74/mo in paid revenue; Kit’s Free plan costs less at any positive revenue (Substack’s card rate is assumed standard).
Selling courses?
Fees there mix monthly price, transaction cuts (Teachable Starter lists 7.5%, Podia Mover 5%, Skool Hobby 10%) and payment rates. On the captured subscription and transaction fees alone, Skool’s Hobby plan costs less than Pro below about $1,267.61/mo in sales (the page does not say whether card processing is included or extra, so the real crossover may differ); Podia’s Mover costs less than Shaker below $1,000/mo (monthly billing) or $840/mo (annual). Course platform table →
Patreon and MailerLite
Patreon states 10% of income plus processing and other fees — the same share Substack states. MailerLite Comfort is $17.10/mo at 1,000 subscribers (billed yearly); if its platform share is 0% (the page states none, which does not prove it), a 10% share passes it at about $171/mo. Patreon’s result excludes its conversion and payout fees. See both in the comparison →
Mailchimp and MailCheap
Priced by contacts (Mailchimp) or emails sent (MailCheap), with no revenue share on the page, so they are not in the take-rate calculator. Mailchimp guide · Send vs subscriber pricing
What this site does and doesn’t claim
- Plan prices and platform fees come from each vendor’s own page, summarized with a link, date and exact excerpts on the price table. Card-processing rates are a separate layer: where a vendor page does not state one, the generic Stripe rate is assumed and each result is tagged; where it is unclear whether the vendor’s fee already includes processing (Skool), none is added and the result says so.
- Mailchimp and MailCheap are explained in guides but excluded from the calculator: they price by contacts or emails sent and show no revenue share or paid-subscription price to compare.
- Switching platforms has costs this tool does not price (migration time, lost discovery, plan limits). Some platforms offer audience discovery that others don’t; this site compares fees only.
- No affiliate links, sponsorships or commissions exist or are claimed in this site. Search demand, traffic and revenue for this site are not established; the research behind choosing this niche shows market signals, not guaranteed results.