Substack

Publishing platform and app where writers, podcasters and video creators run paid subscriptions, with a reader network that drives discovery.

  • Owned audience and monetisation
  • San Francisco, United States
  • Founded 2017
  • Independent

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What Substack does

Substack lets creators publish newsletters, podcasts and video and charge readers for subscriptions, keeping 90% of revenue after card fees. Its app works as a discovery network, and Substack says over 30% of paid subscriptions come from inside that network. In 2026 it added TV apps and a reader-run scan, powered by Pangram, that estimates whether writing was AI-assisted.

ForCreatorsPublishers

Products

  • Paid subscriptionsReaders subscribe to a creator; Substack keeps 10% plus card fees.
  • Substack app and networkReader app and network used for discovery; over 1 million posts discovered by potential subscribers each day.
  • Substack TVApps for Apple TV and Google TV for video and livestreams, announced January 2026.

How it uses AI

  • Pangram-powered AI detection (July 2026) that lets readers scan posts, Notes and comments for likely AI-assisted writing; writers can opt out.

Milestones

  1. Founded by Chris Best, Hamish McKenzie and Jairaj Sethi.
  2. Raised a $100 million Series C led by BOND and The Chernin Group.
  3. Announced Substack TV apps for Apple TV and Google TV.
  4. Rolled out Pangram-powered AI detection for readers.

Sources

  1. About Substack (opens in a new tab), Substack
  2. Substack privacy policy (opens in a new tab), Substack
  3. Substack's CEO on AI slop, free speech, and taking on YouTube (opens in a new tab), Sources (Alex Heath), 22 May 2026
  4. With $100 million funding round, Substack promises better tools (opens in a new tab), Tubefilter, 17 Jul 2025
  5. Canadian co-founded Substack raises $100-million USD Series C (opens in a new tab), BetaKit, 17 Jul 2025
  6. Substack's new AI detection feature has divided its community (opens in a new tab), NPR via KUNC, 12 Aug 2026
  7. Substack (opens in a new tab), Wikipedia
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