How Heartbeat and Substack compare
Heartbeat is a friendly place to start a paid community without a big budget. For $49 a month you get channels, threads, chat, voice rooms, DMs, unlimited courses and events, a custom domain, checkout pages, five automation workflows, and Pulse, an AI that actually sets up channels, offers, and pages for you. Grow adds unlimited workflows, DM rules, an affiliate program, and white-label email; Scale adds a branded app. For a founder with a small group who wants courses and calls next to the conversation, Heartbeat covers a lot for the price.
Substack made paid newsletters normal. You write, it sends, and readers can subscribe or pay in one click. The network effects are real: recommendations, Notes, the app, and discovery bring new readers you did not have to find. There is no monthly fee, and for a writer who wants to write rather than run software, that is a gift.
Where they are different
Heartbeat
- Heartbeat's landing page is the door to a private space.
- Heartbeat emails members through workflows and a weekly digest.
- Heartbeat's events sync to members' calendars.
- Heartbeat charges 5% to 1.25% on payments.
Substack
- Substack is a network you publish into.
- Substack takes a percentage of paid subscriptions.
- Substack chat and comments live in its app.
Choose Heartbeat when a small paid community with courses, calls, and member chat is the product.
Choose Substack when you want to write, get paid, and be discovered with the least possible setup.
Compare features
What's on Heartbeat and Substack
A check means that capability is available. Heartbeat and Substack are marked only when the offer is comparable, not the same product.
Site and brand
- Workspace siteHeartbeat: IncludedSubstack: Included
- Custom domainHeartbeat: IncludedSubstack: Included
- Theme and fontsHeartbeat: IncludedSubstack: Included
Public content
- BlogHeartbeat: Not includedSubstack: Included
- Reader engagementHeartbeat: Not includedSubstack: Included
- Showcase pagesHeartbeat: IncludedSubstack: Not included
Audience and email
- AudienceHeartbeat: IncludedSubstack: Included
- Marketing emailsHeartbeat: IncludedSubstack: Included
- Bulk email workflowsHeartbeat: IncludedSubstack: Included
- Campaign workflowsHeartbeat: IncludedSubstack: Not included
Messaging
- Built-in chatHeartbeat: IncludedSubstack: Included
Commerce
- Shop paymentsHeartbeat: IncludedSubstack: Not included
Team
- Admin usersHeartbeat: IncludedSubstack: Included
- Per-admin permissionsHeartbeat: IncludedSubstack: Included
- AI AssistantHeartbeat: IncludedSubstack: Not included
* Note: This table does not capture every feature of Heartbeat or Substack, and is not intended as a comprehensive list. We keep this page current, but Heartbeat or Substack may add or remove features that are not shown here.
Heartbeat vs Substack pricing
Compare plans, prices, and what it costs to get started.
Heartbeat
Current plans and prices
See what Heartbeat charges on their pricing page.
Substack
Current plans and prices
See what Substack charges on their pricing page.
Cardel: An alternative to
Heartbeat and Substack
You don't pay until you publish.
Cardel provides a home for your craft. Share and sell your work, grow your audience, and bring your community together on a site of your own.
Common questions
Is Cardel an alternative to Heartbeat or Substack?
Cardel is a home for your craft: a site of your own with a blog, newsletter, shop, community, and one inbox. It can replace Heartbeat or Substack when you want your work, audience, and sales in one place. The feature list on this page shows where Heartbeat and Substack are marked.
Can I use Cardel with Heartbeat or Substack?
Yes. Cardel pages can link out to other products, so you can keep Heartbeat or Substack for what it does best and bring the rest of your work to Cardel.
How much does Cardel cost compared with Heartbeat and Substack?
You don't pay for Cardel until you publish. Choose Starter, Pro, or Studio when your site goes live. Heartbeat and Substack set their own prices, so check their pricing pages on this page for current plans.
How do I switch from Heartbeat or Substack to Cardel?
Start with Build Your Site, set up your home, and bring your work over at your own pace. You do not have to move everything on day one.