Suggestions appear as you type. Use the up and down arrows to choose one and Enter to open it.

This page's audience our own tag's counts — open to see them
–Visits
–Page views
–Clicks to vendors
–Time on page
–Reading now
Clicks to vendors, by tool
  • –
Top countries
  • –
Devices
  • –

– · visits, page views and clicks counted by our own tag, which counts more than our checked analytics; every figure rounded down · how we count

Head-to-head · Membership Site Platforms

Substack vs Raklet

  • Updated Oct 2026
  • Both researched from official sources
  • 3 checks side by side
Higher score Substack #4 in Membership Site Platforms 8.9/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 0 of 2 features Visit Substack
Raklet #8 in Membership Site Platforms 8.5/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 1 of 2 features Visit Raklet

Substack leads on 0 checks, Raklet on 0, and 3 are even. Who comes out ahead on the 3 yes/no, price and count checks where we have data for both products. The editor score weighs everything else too.

Our verdict

  • Highest scoreSubstack · 8.9/10
  • Free planboth
  • Most featuresRaklet · 1 of 2

Substack scores higher on our rubric for membership site platforms: 8.9 against 8.5 out of 10; our editors rank them #4 and #8.

Substack is the better fit for newsletter-first paid communities. Raklet is the better fit for associations needing memberships, events, and courses.

  • Substack fits best

    Newsletter-first paid communities

  • Raklet fits best

    Associations needing memberships, events, and courses

Advertiser disclosure: iTechGuides is reader-supported. Vendors can pay for top positions in our rankings and for a place on other products' pages, and we may earn a commission when you click some links. Bought places stand at the number bought; this page and our disclosure say so. Paying vendors may get a fuller, more detailed review from our editors, and that review can change their score. How we rank.

Side by side

Feature Substack 8.9/10 Visit ↗ Raklet 8.5/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score 8.9 8.5
Ranking #4 in Membership Site Platforms #8 in Membership Site Platforms
Best for Newsletter-first paid communities Associations needing memberships, events, and courses
Pricing model Free plan + paid Free plan + paid
Starting price Free plan $49/mo
Free plan ✓ ✓
Free trial — —
Deployment Cloud, Mobile Cloud, Mobile
Platforms Web, iOS, Android Web, iOS, Android
Support Docs Email, Live chat
Integrations 10 integrations 7,000+ integrations
Built for Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise
Features Substack 0/2 · Raklet 1/2
Custom domain Not checked yet ✓ (best)
Drip content Not checked yet —
Specs
Content gating Not checked yet Page
Subscription billing Not checked yet Both
Member limit Not checked yet 500 members
Transaction fee Not checked yet 1% to 4% + $0.60 per transaction, depending on plan
Our review
Pros
  • Paid subscriptions, segmentation, lifecycle email, and analytics are available together.
  • Podcast hosting includes RSS distribution and audience discovery features.
  • Web, iOS, and Android apps support publishing and subscriber access.
  • Combines memberships, events, courses, CRM, community, and communications
  • Supports recurring, yearly, monthly, and one-time membership billing
  • Offers web, mobile apps, API access, and integrations with major business tools
Cons
  • Membership-site controls are narrower than those in many alternatives.
  • Fixed creator plan tiers are not part of the pricing structure.
  • Its broader publishing focus may not suit teams needing conventional email software.
  • Free plan is limited to 100 contacts
  • Custom domain and single sign-on require the Premium plan
  • Transaction fees apply on every plan
Our verdict

Substack is a publishing and subscription platform for writers, podcasters, video creators, and media organizations. It combines newsletter delivery, web publishing, subscriber management, paid subscriptions, analytics, audience discovery,…

Read the review →

Raklet is a membership and community management platform for professional associations, nonprofits, clubs, gyms, alumni networks, content creators, and other organizations. It combines contact management, membership plans, gated pages,…

Read the review →
  1. SubstackMembership Site Platforms 8.9Free plan
  2. RakletMembership Site Platforms 8.5Free plan

Strengths and trade-offs

  • Substack — where it wins

    • Paid subscriptions, segmentation, lifecycle email, and analytics are available together.
    • Podcast hosting includes RSS distribution and audience discovery features.
    • Web, iOS, and Android apps support publishing and subscriber access.

    Where it doesn't

    • Membership-site controls are narrower than those in many alternatives.
    • Fixed creator plan tiers are not part of the pricing structure.
    • Its broader publishing focus may not suit teams needing conventional email software.

  • Raklet — where it wins

    • Combines memberships, events, courses, CRM, community, and communications
    • Supports recurring, yearly, monthly, and one-time membership billing
    • Offers web, mobile apps, API access, and integrations with major business tools

    Where it doesn't

    • Free plan is limited to 100 contacts
    • Custom domain and single sign-on require the Premium plan
    • Transaction fees apply on every plan
  • Substack8.9/10 · Free plan

    A newsletter-first platform combining publishing, paid subscriptions, and community tools.

    Visit SubstackFull verdict →
  • Raklet8.5/10 · Free plan

    A broad membership platform for associations that also need events, courses, and community tools.

    Visit RakletFull verdict →

More comparisons

All membership site platforms comparisons → · Full ranking →

Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026

Last updated · How we research and update