Sellfy vs Substack
A side-by-side look at Sellfy and Substack. On our scoring, Sellfy comes out ahead — but the right pick depends on your priorities.
| Platform | ||
|---|---|---|
| Scores | ||
| SellingScene score | 4.0/5 | 4.0/5 |
| User rating | 4 | 4.2 |
| Reviews | 720 | 1,320 |
| Pricing | ||
| Starting price | $29/mo | Free |
| Pricing model | Starter plan, billed annually | no monthly fee, revenue share |
| Transaction fees | 0% transaction fees | 10% of subscription revenue (plus processing) |
| Hosting & setup | ||
| Hosting type | Fully hosted (SaaS) | Fully hosted (SaaS) |
| Free trial | 14 days | Free to start |
| Staff accounts | Single account | Multiple authors |
| Product limit | Unlimited (annual sales caps) | N/A (subscriptions) |
| Payments & security | ||
| Payment gateways | Stripe, PayPal | Stripe |
| SSL included | Yes | Yes |
| PCI compliant | Yes | Yes |
| Gift cards | No | Yes |
| Catalog & content | ||
| Themes / templates | Customizable storefront | Publication styling |
| App marketplace | Core integrations | Limited integrations |
| Multi-currency | No | No |
| Multi-language | No | No |
| POS included | No | No |
| Abandoned cart recovery | Yes | No |
| Built-in blog | No | Yes |
| Tools & flexibility | ||
| Drag-and-drop editor | No | No |
| API access | No | No |
| Mobile app | No | Yes |
| Support channels | Email & live chat | Email & help center |
| Actions | Read review | Read review |
Why pick Sellfy?
Sellfy bundles digital products, subscriptions, and print-on-demand merch into one tidy storefront with no transaction fees. It is a great all-rounder for creators, though it lacks the depth of a dedicated commerce platform.
Best for: Creators selling digital products and merch together
Read the full Sellfy reviewWhy pick Substack?
Substack makes launching a paid newsletter effortless, bundling publishing, email, payments, and a discovery network at no upfront cost. The flat 10% revenue cut is significant once you scale, and you build on their network, not your own.
Best for: Writers monetizing newsletters and subscriptions
Read the full Substack review