Campaign Monitor vs Substack
Campaign Monitor
Professional email marketing and automation platform featuring designer-grade templates and visual journeys
Publishers using it: 8 · incl. BuzzFeed, Penguin Random House, ADA Meeting News
Last verified Nov 11, 2026
At a glance
- Campaign Monitor scores 3.1/5 and Substack scores 3.6/5 in Benchmark Grid's independent email newsletter platforms benchmark, both assessed on the same 10 criteria.
- The widest gaps are monetisation (Campaign Monitor 0.8, Substack 4.7) and segmentation & automation (Campaign Monitor 4.2, Substack 1.5); they are within 0.3 on 2 of 10 criteria.
- Both are built for small and mid-market publishers.
- On total cost of ownership Campaign Monitor scores 3.6 and Substack 3.5 (higher means better value, not a lower price).
- In our tracking 8 publishers use Campaign Monitor and 21 use Substack.
- Scores last verified 11 Nov 2026. Vendors cannot pay for a score or a position.
Where they differ
Campaign Monitor is stronger on segmentation & automation (4.2 vs 1.5), editor & template design (4.6 vs 2.0) and integrations & API (3.0 vs 1.2).
Substack is stronger on monetisation (4.7 vs 0.8).
Which one fits
Choose Campaign Monitor if…
- You publish at small and mid-market scale.
- You weight segmentation & automation, editor & template design and integrations & API heavily — Campaign Monitor leads on those in this benchmark.
Choose Substack if…
- You publish at small and mid-market scale.
- You weight monetisation, audience growth tools and deliverability & inbox placement heavily — Substack leads on those in this benchmark.
Also weighing these
The nearest-scored tools to Campaign Monitor and Substack in this benchmark, listed A to Z.
- 3.6FlowletterWordPress-integrated newsletter platform for publishers using Leaky Paywall subscription modelsRead review
- 3.8LetterheadMake it. Measure it. Improve it.Read review
- 2.8MailchimpTurn ideas into emails & SMS that connectRead review
- 3.9PostUpEmail marketing and audience development platform purpose-built for media companies and digital publishers. Now operating independently as PostUp LLC following its divestiture from Upland Software.Read review
All 7 scored tools are in Best Email Newsletter Platforms.
Who uses them
Publishers we have detected running each tool, from ads.txt, site code and published case studies. Agencies, brands and vendors are excluded.
Campaign Monitor · 8
Head to head
| Criterion | Campaign Monitor | Substack |
|---|---|---|
| Deliverability & inbox placement16% of capability | 3.0 | 4.2 |
| Audience growth tools12% of capability | 2.8 | 4.6 |
| Monetisation12% of capability | 0.8 | 4.7 |
| Segmentation & automation12% of capability | 4.2 | 1.5 |
| Analytics after Apple Mail Privacy Protection10% of capability | 2.8 | 3.0 |
| Editor & template design10% of capability | 4.6 | 2.0 |
| Integrations & API8% of capability | 3.0 | 1.2 |
| Subscriber management & data portability8% of capability | 3.2 | 4.0 |
| Compliance & list hygiene6% of capability | 3.5 | 3.5 |
| Sending performance at scale6% of capability | 3.5 | 4.0 |
| Capability45% of composite | 3.1 | 3.3 |
| Publisher fit40% of composite | 3.0 | 4.0 |
| Total cost of ownership15% of composite | 3.6 | 3.5 |
Cost of ownership
| Sub-score | Campaign Monitor | Substack |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing transparency | 4.0 | 3.9 |
| Entry cost | 4.3 | 4.2 |
| Implementation cost | 4.0 | 4.2 |
| Hidden-fee risk | 3.1 | 3.0 |
| Ongoing cost | 2.7 | 2.2 |
Campaign Monitor pricing
Free plan for up to 500 contacts and 500 emails, with a 30-day free trial; paid plans start at $13/mo (Lite), $31/mo (Essentials), and $171/mo (Premier) for up to 500 contacts; Enterprise custom.
Substack pricing
Free to publish; Substack takes a 10% commission on paid subscription revenue plus standard Stripe processing fees.
What users say
Campaign Monitor
25 positive · 16 neutral · 8 negative
Substack
15 positive · 30 neutral · 9 negative
Mentions we could not tie to a real user, and those flagged as promotional, are excluded. Sentiment is opinion, and is independent of the verified publisher adoptions above.
Campaign Monitor scores 3.1 and Substack scores 3.6 in Benchmark Grid's independent Best Email Newsletter Platforms benchmark (benchmarkgrid.com/vs/campaign-monitor/substack, verified Nov 11, 2026)
Common questions
How do Campaign Monitor and Substack differ?
Campaign Monitor is stronger on segmentation & automation (4.2 vs 1.5), editor & template design (4.6 vs 2.0) and integrations & API (3.0 vs 1.2). Substack is stronger on monetisation (4.7 vs 0.8). Neither is better in the abstract — which one suits you depends on which of those dimensions carries the most weight in your operation.
Which is cheaper, Campaign Monitor or Substack?
On total cost of ownership — pricing transparency, entry cost, implementation, hidden-fee risk and ongoing cost — Campaign Monitor scores 3.6/5 and Substack scores 3.5/5. A higher score means better value, not a lower sticker price.
How are these scores calculated?
Each tool is assessed against its category's published criteria (10 in this benchmark), which make up Capability (45% of the composite), Publisher fit (40%) and Total cost of ownership (15%). Assessment is carried out by SODP's editorial team against a published methodology. Vendors cannot pay for inclusion, scores or positions.
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Both tools are scored in Best Email Newsletter Platforms. See alternatives to Campaign Monitor or alternatives to Substack.
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Where to next
Related comparisons
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