Newsletters · checked 2026-10-14

Can I vibecode Substack?

KINDA· weekend project

Writing, a subscriber list and a send button make a weekend project, and a Stripe-backed paid tier fits in the same weekend: Ghost already does exactly that if you'd rather not build. What a copy cannot bring is what the 10% buys beyond payments: the app and inbox where readers already are, Notes and recommendations that send new subscribers, and a sending reputation that gets mail delivered. Leaving only saves money if your readers find you without Substack's help.

variesprice

—you'd save a year

weekendbuild time

—people replaced it

Before you start

What you need on hand.

DifficultyAdvanced · Real infrastructure or OAuth work.

TimeA weekend, plus a day for DNS and Stripe account approval

Claude Code, Codex or CursorAny of them can run the prompt.
Node.js 22better-sqlite3 compiles a native module, so build tools must be installed.
An SES or Resend accountA new SES account starts in a sandbox; the production-access request can take a day.
A domain with DNS accessSPF, DKIM and DMARC records decide whether Gmail trusts your mail.
A Stripe accountWork in test mode first; real payouts need identity checks.
Your Substack exportSettings > Exports for posts, and the subscriber lists from the Subscribers page.

Before you buildSubstack costs nothing until you charge readers. If your newsletter is free, there is nothing to save by leaving.

1. Install one agent: Claude Code, Codex, Cursor.
2. Make an empty folder and open it in the agent.
3. Paste the prompt below, press enter, and answer its questions as it builds.

The prompt

Build me a self-hosted newsletter with a paid tier to replace Substack. Requirements:

- Node.js 22 + TypeScript: a Fastify server with server-rendered pages (Eta) and no front-end
  framework. `npm start` serves http://localhost:4400; admin at /admin.
- Storage: better-sqlite3 in ./data/letter.db: subscribers (email, status pending / active /
  unsubscribed, tier free / paid, stripe_customer_id), posts (slug, title, markdown, audience
  everyone / paid, status draft / sent) and deliveries (post, subscriber, state, sent_at).
- Writing: a Markdown editor with live preview (`marked`), drafts and "send test to me". A line
  `<!-- paywall -->` splits a post: free readers get the text above it and a subscribe button.
- Sending: nodemailer SMTP from .env (Amazon SES or Resend). Batches at SEND_RATE per second;
  each recipient's state is written before the send, so a restart never mails anyone twice.
  Paid posts go to paid subscribers only; everyone else receives the free part.
- Signup: double opt-in with a 48-hour token. Every email carries an unsubscribe link plus
  List-Unsubscribe and List-Unsubscribe-Post headers.
- Paid tier: Stripe Checkout in subscription mode (monthly and yearly prices created in the
  Stripe dashboard, ids in .env) and the Stripe Customer Portal for changing or cancelling.
  /stripe/webhook verifies the signature and handles checkout.session.completed,
  customer.subscription.updated and customer.subscription.deleted. No card data touches the server.
- Reading: /archive and /p/<slug> for public posts. Paid posts open from a signed magic link emailed
  to an active paid subscriber (cookie for 30 days). /feed.xml lists public posts only.
- Admin: one password in .env (signed cookie); subscriber CSV import and export.
- Single user. No telemetry. Outbound calls: SMTP and Stripe only.
- Out of scope: Notes, recommendations, comments, podcasts, in-app purchases, tax handling.
- README: the SPF, DKIM and DMARC records, `stripe listen --forward-to` for local tests, the webhook
  events to enable, and a warning that a new SES account starts in the sandbox.

Opens your agent with the prompt filled in, you press enter. Or copy it and paste it into an empty folder.

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Then keep going

Next prompts, same folder.

The first prompt builds the core. Run these one at a time in the same folder to grow it into your own Substack.

Add a Substack importer to the newsletter app in this folder. Requirements:

- Accept the zip from Substack's Exports page. Inspect the actual layout first, list what it
  contains, and stop with a clear message if you don't recognise it.
- Convert each post's HTML to Markdown (`turndown`), keep the slug, title and date, and mark
  posts as paid or public as the export says.
- Read the free and paid subscriber CSVs; create subscribers as active and keep the signup date.
  Match paid ones to Stripe customers by email using the Stripe API (STRIPE_SECRET_KEY in .env).
- Never send anything during an import; print a summary of imported and skipped rows.
- Update the README, including the warning that readers should be told before the first send.

Add bounce handling to the newsletter app in this folder. Requirements:

- An endpoint that receives Amazon SES notifications through SNS (confirm the subscription
  and verify the message signature).
- A hard bounce or a spam complaint marks the subscriber as suppressed, and suppressed
  addresses never receive another issue.
- Soft bounces count; after 3 in a row, suppress.
- The admin shows suppressed addresses with the reason and a way to clear one.
- Update the README with the SES and SNS setup steps.

Add a welcome sequence to the newsletter app in this folder. Requirements:

- Three emails written in Markdown in the admin: sent right after confirming, 2 days
  later and 5 days later.
- A worker checks every minute, sends what is due and records each step per subscriber
  so nobody gets one twice.
- Stop the sequence when someone unsubscribes or becomes a paid subscriber.
- Update the README.

Extend the paid tier of the newsletter app in this folder. Requirements:

- A "comped" flag on a subscriber, set from the admin, that grants paid access with an
  optional end date and no Stripe record.
- A third Stripe price for a founding tier, shown on the subscribe page next to the others;
  founding members read the same paid posts.
- The admin lists paid, comped and founding counts and monthly recurring revenue from Stripe.
- Update the README.

What you lose

Notes, recommendations and the Substack app, which send readers to you
Readers who already have Substack accounts and subscribe from inside the app
Podcast hosting, video posts and reader chat in the same place
Apple in-app purchases for readers who subscribe on iOS
A sending reputation built over years: a new domain starts cold

Why people still pay

It costs nothing until a reader pays, so starting carries no risk, and the signup page, payments, archive and apps arrive in one account. Substack's own pitch is that writers keep 90% of their revenue minus card fees, with no bill when the newsletter earns nothing.

Moatnetwork effects infrastructure scale

Leaving Substack

Take your data, then cancel.

1 · Take your data out of Substack

1Open your publication's Settings, then Exports, and choose Create new export. A zip with your posts, subscriber list and stats is built, and an email tells you when it's ready.
2Subscribers: the Subscribers page has an export of the full list under All subscribers (the three dots).
3Paid subscribers stay billed through your own Stripe account. The new platform has to be connected to that same Stripe account so cards carry over; Ghost's migration guide has you download the paid list from Substack and connect the same account.

2 · Cancel Substack

1There is no Substack plan to cancel: fees come out of paid subscriptions only, so a free publication can simply stay where it is.
2Before moving a paid publication, connect the new platform to the same Stripe account and import the paid subscribers.
3To end one paid subscriber's plan yourself: Subscribers tab, the three dots, Cancel subscription, then pick a pro-rated or full refund.

Ghost's guide notes that Substack keeps taking its 10% on existing paid subscriptions after the move, so check which billing the subscribers stay on.
Warn readers before the first send from a new address: a new sender domain may land in spam until it builds a reputation.
Keep the old publication up with a pointer post until readers have moved.
Subscriptions bought in the Substack iOS app are billed by Apple, so they probably can't move with the Stripe list; ask Substack support what happens to them.

Checked 2026-10-14 against Substack's docs: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6

The escape hatch

Don't feel like building it? These are already free.

GhostOpen sourceMIT-licensed publishing platform with memberships, paid tiers through your own Stripe account and no revenue cut. Self-hosting needs a database and a bulk mail provider such as Mailgun.★ 56k · active Oct 2026 · docker to self-host
WebVisit ↗listmonkOpen sourceSelf-hosted newsletter and mailing list manager shipped as a single binary. It sends mail and manages lists; it doesn't bill readers.★ 24k · active Oct 2026 · docker to self-host
WebVisit ↗KeilaOpen sourceAGPL-licensed newsletter tool you host yourself and connect to your own mail sender.★ 2.2k · active Oct 2026 · docker to self-host
WebVisit ↗

All 4 free alternatives to Substack ›

The numbers

Substack pricing

Plan	Monthly	Annual, per month	What you get
Free publication	$0	$0	No cap on subscribers or posts.
Paid subscriptions	custom	—	Substack keeps 10% of each subscription payment. Stripe adds 2.9% + $0.30 per US card payment and 0.7% for recurring billing.

Billing: There is no plan to buy. The fees come out of each reader payment, which flows through your own Stripe account; the first payout from a new Stripe account takes 7 to 14 days.
Hidden costs: Stripe's fees come on top of Substack's 10%, and the flat 30 cents weighs most on cheap plans. Local payment methods are priced by Stripe and vary by country. Readers who subscribe in the iOS app pay through Apple, and you choose whether to raise the in-app price to cover Apple's fee.
Source: support.substack.com

Also on the list

beehiiv$59/mo · NewslettersKINDA

Ghost(Pro)$18/mo · PublishingKINDA

Kit (formerly ConvertKit)$39/mo · NewslettersKINDA

Questions

Substack, briefly

Not answered here? Tell us and we'll add it.

Ask a question ›

Publishing is free at any subscriber count; fees begin only when you charge readers.

Kinda. The core is a weekend build with the prompt on this page, but real gaps remain: Notes, recommendations and the Substack app, which send readers to you, Readers who already have Substack accounts and subscribe from inside the app.

Substack's pricing is usage-based or varies by plan.

Notes, recommendations and the Substack app, which send readers to you; Readers who already have Substack accounts and subscribe from inside the app; Podcast hosting, video posts and reader chat in the same place; Apple in-app purchases for readers who subscribe on iOS; A sending reputation built over years: a new domain starts cold. If any of those matter to you, keep paying.