1. listmonk
Zerodha · Bengaluru · Email marketing software · 4.7/5
Open-source newsletter and mailing list manager from Zerodha.
Free
Free plan available
Compared with Substack
- Built in India (Bengaluru)
- Open source
Email marketing software · Alternatives
Best Substack alternatives in India (2026)
Substack is an email marketing software product from Substack, San Francisco, priced at Free with a free plan. We compared 20 alternatives on published price, free plan, platforms and made-in-India support: 18 have a free plan, 3 are built in India.
Quick answer
The closest alternatives to Substack are listmonk (Free), Pepipost by Netcore (Free plan), SendGrid (Free plan), Mailgun (Free plan) and Elastic Email (Free plan). listmonk is the top-ranked option with a free plan. Published prices in this list start at ₹1,200/month.
Why businesses look for a Substack alternative
Indian support and GST
Substack is built in United States. 3 alternatives are made in India, where GST, TDS and UPI are usually handled natively and support runs on IST.
Substack alternatives compared
Ranked by how closely each product matches Substack's category, pricing model, platforms and business size, then by rating. Prices exclude GST.
| # | Software | Starting price | Free plan | Platforms | Made in India | Rating | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| — | Substack (current) | Free | Yes | Web | No | 4.5/5 | — |
| 1 | listmonk | Free | Yes | Web | Yes | 4.7/5 | |
| 2 |  Pepipost by Netcore | Free plan | Yes | Web | Yes | 4.8/5 | |
| 3 |  SendGrid | Free plan | Yes | Web | No | 4.6/5 | |
| 4 |  Mailgun | Free plan | Yes | Web | No | 4.6/5 | |
| 5 |  Elastic Email | Free plan | Yes | Web | No | 4.6/5 | |
| 6 |  SparkPost | Free plan | Yes | Web | No | 4.5/5 | |
| 7 |  SMTP2GO | Free plan | Yes | Web | No | 4.6/5 | |
| 8 |  Postal | Free | Yes | Web | No | 4.3/5 | |
| 9 |  Mailjet | Free plan | Yes | Web | No | 4.5/5 | |
| 10 |  Mailtrap | Free plan | Yes | Web | No | 4.5/5 | |
| 11 |  Beehiiv | Free plan | Yes | Web | No | 4.4/5 | |
| 12 |  EmailOctopus | Free plan | Yes | Web | No | 4.4/5 | |
| 13 |  BEE Pro | Free plan | Yes | Web | No | 4.4/5 | |
| 14 |  Stripo | Free plan | Yes | Web | No | 4.4/5 | |
| 15 |  Mailmodo AMP | Free plan | Yes | Web | Yes | 4.4/5 | |
| 16 |  Amazon SES | Pay as you go | No | Web | No | 4.5/5 | |
| 17 |  ZeroBounce | Free plan | Yes | Web | No | 4.3/5 | |
| 18 |  Postmark | ₹1,200/mo | No | Web | No | 4.5/5 | |
| 19 |  Hunter | Free plan | Yes | Web | No | 4.3/5 | |
| 20 |  SendGrid Marketing Campaigns | Free plan | Yes | Web | No | 4.4/5 |
Top 10 Substack alternatives in detail
2. Pepipost by Netcore
Netcore Cloud · Mumbai · Email marketing software · 4.8/5
Email API and delivery from Netcore, built in Mumbai.
Free plan
Free plan available
Compared with Substack
- Built in India (Mumbai)
Free plan
Free plan available
Free plan
Free plan available
5. Elastic Email
Elastic Email · Vancouver · Email marketing software · 4.6/5
Affordable email marketing and API.
Free plan
Free plan available
Free plan
Free plan available
Free plan
Free plan available
Free
Free plan available
Compared with Substack
- Open source
Free plan
Free plan available
10. Mailtrap
Railsware · Kraków · Email marketing software · 4.5/5
Email testing and sending platform.
Free plan
Free plan available
Substack alternatives by what you need
Lowest published price
Free Substack alternatives
Indian alternatives to Substack
How to choose a Substack alternative
- Check pricing per contact and per send; some products charge on list size even for unsubscribed contacts.
- Test deliverability to Gmail and Outlook with your own domain before you commit.
- If you send transactional email too, a product with both marketing and API sending simplifies your stack.
Substack alternatives — FAQs
What is the best alternative to Substack in 2026?+
The closest matches to Substack on App Advisor are listmonk (Free), Pepipost by Netcore (Free plan), SendGrid (Free plan). They are ranked by how closely their category, pricing model, platforms and target business size match Substack, then by rating. The best choice depends on your team size and budget.
Is there a free alternative to Substack?+
Yes. 18 of the 20 alternatives listed have a free plan or are free: listmonk (Free), Pepipost by Netcore (Free plan), SendGrid (Free plan). Free plans usually cap users, records or transactions, so check the limits against your monthly volume.
What is the cheapest alternative to Substack?+
Among alternatives that publish a price, Postmark starts lowest at ₹1,200/mo. listmonk also has a free plan. Prices are read from each vendor's website and exclude GST.
Is there an Indian alternative to Substack?+
Yes. 3 alternatives are built in India, including listmonk (Free), Pepipost by Netcore (Free plan), Mailmodo AMP (Free plan). Indian products usually handle GST, TDS and UPI natively and bill in rupees.
Substack vs listmonk: which is better?+
listmonk is the closest match to Substack in our catalogue. Key differences: Built in India (Bengaluru); Open source. Compare them side by side before you book a demo.
How were these Substack alternatives chosen?+
Every product listed sits in email marketing software or a category Substack also covers, and Substack's own products are excluded. Prices, free plans and platforms come from each vendor's official website. App Advisor does not sell any of this software.
Free shortlist
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Related alternatives
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