Substack

Substack is a free newsletter platform that handles payments directly. Writers publish essays or updates, readers can subscribe for free, and you can offer paid tiers that Substack takes 10% of. There's no upfront cost, no subscriber limits on the free plan, and a straightforward revenue split that works in your favor as you grow.

It's the lowest-friction entry point for independent writers and creators wanting to build an audience. Substack's distribution features help new writers surface their work, and the payment infrastructure is built in, so readers subscribe to you directly rather than you managing payments elsewhere. For solo creators testing ideas or building a subscriber base before investing in more sophisticated tools, Substack's zero-cost model and low overhead make it a natural first step.