Substack alternatives
TL;DR: 12 companies doing similar work to Substack in B2B, ranked by how closely they match what Substack actually does — not just by category.
How this list was built: every company here is Y Combinator-backed and shares at least one category with Substack. They are scored on how closely their own description overlaps with Substack's, and all facts shown come from the YC company records — nothing is estimated.
What are the best alternatives to Substack?
| Alternative | What it does | Batch | Team | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PetaSales | — | Winter 2009 | 2 | Inactive |
| AdThrow | — | Summer 2009 | — | Inactive |
| Fithub | — | Winter 2010 | — | Inactive |
| Insoshi | — | Winter 2008 | — | Inactive |
| Optilly/Installmonetizer | Fb ad optimization platform | Winter 2012 | 11 | Inactive |
| Locent | Locent is an automated messaging platform for companies | Summer 2015 | 11 | Inactive |
| Avalanche | Referral program SDK for startups | Winter 2019 | 1 | Inactive |
| Webflow | Professional website design and publishing platform. | Summer 2013 | 600 | Active |
| Weebly | Build a free website that grows with your business. | Winter 2007 | 201 | Acquired |
| TapEngage | Touch-friendly marketing, acquired by Dropbox | Summer 2011 | 2 | Acquired |
| Taiv | AI-powered tech that makes business TV smarter, engaging, and… | Winter 2020 | 40 | Active |
| Lapis | AI that creates and runs ads, end-end | Fall 2025 | 4 | Active |
Is Substack still active?
Substack is still operating, so switching is a choice rather than a forced migration. Compare on fit and price rather than urgency.
How was this list put together?
Every company here is Y Combinator-backed and shares at least one category with Substack. They are then ranked on how closely their own description overlaps with Substack's, so the closest matches come first rather than whoever happens to share a tag.