Mailtrain
Best for self-hosting
Why teams pick it
Users with technical resources to manage self-hosted applications
Open-source alternatives to Substack
Compare community-driven replacements for Substack in mailing list & newsletter managers workflows. We curate active, self-hostable options with transparent licensing so you can evaluate the right fit quickly.
Substack
Substack enables writers to publish email newsletters with subscription monetization, hosting, and analytics. It handles payment processing and distribution for independent creators.Read more
Key stats
- 4Alternatives
- 2Support self-hosting
Run on infrastructure you control
- 4Active development
Recent commits in the last 6 months
- 1Permissive licenses
MIT, Apache, and similar licenses
Counts reflect projects currently indexed as alternatives to Substack.
Start with these picks
These projects match the most common migration paths for teams replacing Substack.
Keila
Privacy-first alternative
Why teams pick it
Keep customer data in-house with privacy-focused tooling.
All open-source alternatives
Mailtrain
Self-hosted newsletter platform with advanced automation and segmentation
Self-host friendlyActive developmentPrivacy-firstJavaScript
Why teams choose it
- Built-in Zone-MTA for independent mail delivery without external SMTP
- Multi-user support with granular permissions and hierarchical namespaces
- Advanced automation including triggered campaigns and RSS feeds
Watch for
Requires server administration knowledge and infrastructure management
Migration highlight
Enterprise Multi-Brand Newsletters
Manage multiple brand newsletters with hierarchical namespaces, granular user permissions, and centralized reporting while maintaining data sovereignty.
Ghost
Modern publishing platform for blogs, memberships, and newsletters
Active developmentPermissive licenseIntegration-friendlyJavaScript
Why teams choose it
- Built‑in membership, subscription, and newsletter system
- Fast Node.js core with SEO‑optimized output
- Extensible theming with Handlebars and a JSON API
Watch for
Requires a Node.js runtime, not a PHP stack
Migration highlight
Personal blog with paid subscriptions
Earn recurring revenue while publishing directly from Ghost
Keila
Self‑hosted newsletter platform with flexible email delivery options
Active developmentPrivacy-firstFast to deployElixir
Why teams choose it
- WYSIWYG campaign editor with default templates
- Embedded sign‑up form builder
- Supports SMTP, AWS SES, Sendgrid, Mailgun, and Postmark
Watch for
Requires own server or cloud environment
Migration highlight
Community group monthly updates
Consistent branding and direct inbox delivery using a personal SMTP server.
Listmonk
Self-hosted newsletter and mailing list manager in one binary
Self-host friendlyActive developmentPrivacy-firstGo
Why teams choose it
- Single binary deployment with PostgreSQL backend for minimal infrastructure overhead
- Modern Vue-based dashboard for campaign management and subscriber analytics
- Supports transactional emails, SMS gateways, and custom SMTP configurations
Watch for
Requires PostgreSQL database setup and maintenance
Migration highlight
Product Update Newsletters
SaaS companies send feature announcements and release notes to segmented user lists while maintaining full control over subscriber data and delivery infrastructure.
Choosing a mailing list & newsletter managers alternative
Teams replacing Substack in mailing list & newsletter managers workflows typically weigh self-hosting needs, integration coverage, and licensing obligations.
- 2 projects let you self-host and keep customer data on infrastructure you control.
- 4 options are actively maintained with recent commits.
Tip: shortlist one hosted and one self-hosted option so stakeholders can compare trade-offs before migrating away from Substack.