--- {"title": "Connections Newsletter vs Substack in 2026", "description": "Compare Connections Newsletter and Substack for sending a newsletter: what each does, what each source says, and what to check before you choose.", "url": "https://uncommoncomforts.com/connections-newsletter-vs-substack/", "date": "2026-10-24"} --- Compare Connections Newsletter and Substack for sending a newsletter: what each does, what each source says, and what to check before you choose. Connections Newsletter lets you publish a post to a public page and send it by email as separate actions. [^1] Substack's sources say creators always own their intellectual property and mailing list. [^2] | Option | Making a publication | Sending by email | |---|---|---| | Substack | not published | not published | | Connections Newsletter | Free [^1] | Free for about 300 emails a week [^1] | ## The short answer Connections Newsletter is a web app, so you use it in a browser. [^1] You can publish a post to a public page and send it by email as separate actions. [^1] Substack's pages promote starting a Substack. [^2] They also describe its platform as having discussions. [^2] For the needs of someone who runs things, Substack's sources say creators own their mailing list. [^2] They also say creators have full editorial control and no gatekeepers. [^2] Connections Newsletter's claims cover a subscriber list you can download as a CSV file. [^1] They also cover a public archive with an RSS feed and a form you can embed on your own site. [^1] Where the sources are silent, the questions further down are worth checking. ## What Substack is built for Substack says creators always own their intellectual property and mailing list. [^2] It says creators have full editorial control and no gatekeepers. [^2] Its pages promote starting a Substack. [^2] Substack describes its platform as having discussions. [^2] It also says users can join the most interesting and insightful discussions. [^2] The sources used for this page do not describe how the discussions work, how sending works, or how subscribers join. Read Substack's own pages on those points before you choose. ## What Connections Newsletter is built for Connections Newsletter is made by the team that publishes this site. You can publish a post to the public page and send it by email as separate actions, so one can happen without the other. [^1] New subscribers start as pending and become active through double opt-in. [^1] You can turn on a welcome email, with its own subject and message, that goes to new subscribers. [^1] When you send, you can choose everyone or only subscribers with any of some tags. [^1] After sending, you can see that post's live numbers and refresh them. [^1] You can download your subscriber list as a CSV whenever you need to take it elsewhere. [^1] Every publication gets a public page with its archive, an RSS feed, and a form you can embed on your own site. [^1] Connections Newsletter is a web app, so you use it in a browser. [^1] ## Pricing and fees No price or fee for Substack is published in the sources for this page, so this page does not state one. Check Substack's pricing directly before you choose. Making a publication with Connections Newsletter is free. [^1] Sending is free for about 300 emails a week. [^1] The claims for Connections Newsletter do not describe a charge beyond that weekly allowance, so check the product's terms before you plan a larger list. The weekly allowance is the figure to check against how often you send. ## Getting started Connections Newsletter is a web app, so you start by opening it in a browser. [^1] Making a publication is free. [^1] Before your first send, you need to add a postal address. [^1] You can turn on a welcome email, with a subject and message, that goes to new subscribers. [^1] New subscribers start as pending and become active through double opt-in. [^1] When you are ready to publish, you can post to the public page and send by email as separate actions. [^1] Substack's pages promote starting a Substack. [^2] The sources for this page do not describe the steps after that, so check the first steps on Substack's own pages before you begin. ## Things to check before you choose Do you need to take your subscriber list to another tool later? Connections Newsletter lets you download it as a CSV file. [^1] Substack's pages say creators own their mailing list. [^2] Do you want a public archive of your posts with a feed? Connections Newsletter provides one. [^1] Do you want readers to discuss your posts with each other? Substack describes its platform as having discussions. [^2] The sources for Connections Newsletter do not describe discussions, so check whether that matters to you. How many emails will you send each week? The free sending allowance for Connections Newsletter covers about 300 emails a week. [^1] Do you need to send to only some subscribers? Connections Newsletter lets you choose subscribers with any of some tags when you send. [^1] Who decides what gets published? Substack says creators have full editorial control. [^2] What does each tool cost as your list grows? No Substack price is published in the sources for this page, so check that directly. Connections Newsletter's free sending covers about 300 emails a week, and its claims do not describe a charge beyond that. [^1] ## How to choose If you want to keep your mailing list and take it elsewhere, Substack's sources say creators own their mailing list. [^2] Connections Newsletter also lets you download the list as a CSV file. [^1] If you want readers to join discussions, Substack describes discussions on its platform. [^2] The sources for Connections Newsletter do not describe discussions, so check that before you choose it. If you want a public archive with a feed and a form for your own site, Connections Newsletter provides those. [^1] If you want to send at no charge to a list that stays within about 300 emails a week, Connections Newsletter's free sending covers that. [^1] If you want a welcome email or sends to some subscribers only, Connections Newsletter offers both. A welcome email can go to new subscribers. [^1] Sends can go to everyone or only to subscribers with any of some tags. [^1] If you want creators to control what they publish, Substack says creators have full editorial control. [^2] The choice depends on which of these needs matter to you, and the sources above cover only some of them. ## Frequently asked questions ### Is Connections Newsletter free to use? Making a publication is free. [^1] Sending is free for about 300 emails a week. [^1] The claims for the product do not describe any charge beyond that weekly allowance, so check the product's terms before you plan a larger list. Keep in mind that the allowance is weekly, so a list you send to often may need planning against it. ### Can Connections Newsletter publish posts to a website and send them by email? Yes. You can publish a post to a public page and send it by email as separate actions. [^1] Every publication gets a public page with its archive, an RSS feed, and a form you can embed on your own site. [^1] An RSS feed is a standard feed that lets people follow new posts in a feed reader. The claims on this page do not describe more than that, so check the layout in your own setup before you rely on it. ### Does Substack let creators keep their mailing list? Substack says creators always own their intellectual property and mailing list. [^2] Substack also says creators have full editorial control and no gatekeepers. [^2] The sources for this page do not describe how a list is taken out of the service, so check how exporting works on Substack's own pages before you rely on it. Ownership and export are different questions, and only the first is covered here. ### Can you export a subscriber list from Connections Newsletter? Yes. You can download your subscriber list as a CSV whenever you need to take it elsewhere. [^1] A CSV is a plain spreadsheet file. Downloading the list is a step you choose to take, so do it when you need the list and keep the file somewhere safe. ### Is Substack free to start? The sources for this page do not publish a Substack price or fee, so this page cannot say whether starting one costs anything. Check Substack's own pages for its current terms before you choose. For comparison, Connections Newsletter's claims say making a publication is free. [^1] Those claims cover only that product, so the two need the same kind of check before you compare them. Making publications is free; there is no paid tier for creating a publication. [^1] Free sends about 300 emails a week. [^1] - [Visit Connections Newsletter](/go/connections-newsletter-vs-substack) ## Sources [^1]: Connections Newsletter's own description of itself (the product of this site's publisher) (/go/connections-newsletter-vs-substack) [^2]: Substack, substack.com, read 2026-10-08 (https://substack.com)