An easy alternative to Substack
Substack is built for publishing in public, charging for subscriptions, and finding subscribers through its network. But is it easy to run a simple newsletter? We think XOXO might be a better fit.
How easy is it to set up?
Getting your first newsletter out without extra steps or long waits.
Substack: So-so
Set up your publication and audience, then write a post. Imported audiences may need review.
XOXO: Easy
Sign up, import your audience, and send.
How easy is it to learn?
Are there new concepts you have to figure out.
Substack: Easy
Write posts and organize subscribers into sections for different newsletters.
XOXO: Easy
Write emails and organize subscribers with groups, fields, and tags.
How easy is it to focus?
Keeping newsletters free of sales funnels, SMS, and other distractions.
Substack: Hard
Notes, chat, video, and paid subscriptions compete with your newsletter for attention.
XOXO: Easy
Just emails, subscribers, and forms.
How easy is it to write a nice email?
Writing and designing a simple newsletter.
Substack: Easy
A post editor for writing newsletters and publishing to your archive.
XOXO: Easy
A simple block editor for writing and designing your newsletter.
How easy is it to understand your stats?
Will you need an advanced math degree.
Substack: So-so
Post reports mix email opens with app and web views, adding more to interpret.
XOXO: Easy
Opens, clicks, and likes in each email's report.
How easy is it to keep your list clean?
Will your subscriber list get stale and problematic.
Substack: Easy
Unsubscribed addresses stop receiving emails automatically. Delivery problems appear in the subscriber dashboard.
XOXO: Easy
Unsubscribes, complaints, and undeliverable addresses are removed from your audience automatically.
How easy is it to manage consent?
Signup confirmation and unsubscribe handling that work without extra setup.
Substack: So-so
You need to enable signup confirmation yourself. Unsubscribe links are included automatically.
XOXO: Easy
Double opt-in is built in, and unsubscribes are handled.
How easy is it to respect privacy?
Useful email stats without tracking location, devices, or external activity.
Substack: Hard
Subscriber profiles go beyond email stats to include web views, signup sources, and country.
XOXO: Easy
Email opens and clicks without storing subscriber IP addresses, location, device details, or activity from other platforms.
How easy is it to predict your bill?
Will you know when your price is going up.
Substack: Easy
Free newsletters stay free. Paid subscriptions add a percentage fee and payment processing costs.
XOXO: Easy
Your bill follows subscriber count, with automatic adjustments as your audience grows or shrinks.
How easy is it on your budget?
What it costs to run a typical newsletter.
Substack: Easy
Free for free newsletters. Charging subscribers means sharing revenue and paying processing fees.
XOXO: Easy
Free to start, with every feature included. Pay for audience growth, without add-ons.
| Subscribers | Substack* | XOXO |
|---|---|---|
| 100 | Free for free newsletters | free |
| 500 | Free for free newsletters | $8 |
| 1,000 | Free for free newsletters | $14 |
| 2,500 | Free for free newsletters | $30 |
| 5,000 | Free for free newsletters | $50 |
| 10,000 | Free for free newsletters | $80 |
| 25,000 | Free for free newsletters | $175 |
| 50,000 | Free for free newsletters | $300 |
| 100,000 | Free for free newsletters | $500 |
Free newsletters cost nothing at any audience size. Paid subscriptions cost 10% of subscription revenue plus payment processing fees. Substack pricing checked September 2026. XOXO prices apply after early access.
Ready to switch from Substack?
Join the waitlist. We can help you move your subscribers when you get access.
Send nice emails
The best emails are thoughtfully composed. They're beautiful without being a brochure, and respect the recipient's time and inbox.
Build your audience
Growing an audience takes work. We make it easier with tools to add, organize, and understand your subscribers.
Keep it simple
You don't need an enterprise marketing platform to have a newsletter. In fact, our best feature may be the features we left out.
- No workflow automations
- No drip campaigns
- No SMS or social
- No sales funnels
- No add-ons or upsells
- No invasive tracking
Don't break the bank
You shouldn't be paying for features you don't need, or stuck on a free plan missing the ones you actually do.
Want early access to XOXO?
Free during early access, every feature included.