Automatic Invoicing & VAT
Compliant invoices, automatic retries (dunning), VAT handling. Substack provides no invoicing and does not handle European VAT.
Comparison
PayFacile vs Substack: Keep 100% of Your Revenue
Substack takes 10% of every dollar you earn. PayFacile charges a flat fee + just 1% per transaction, and gives you far more than a newsletter.
No credit card. No lock-in. Cancel anytime.
Side by side
Newsletter Tool vs Business Platform
PayFacile
Substack
Concept
All-in-one platform to sell subscriptions, courses, digital products
Newsletter platform with paid subscriptions
Commission on revenue
No platform commission (1% transaction fee)
10% of all subscriber revenue
Starting price
€24/mo (everything included)
Free to start, but 10% on every payment
Product types
Subscriptions, one-time sales, courses, digital files, memberships
Paid newsletters only
Website
Included (drag-and-drop builder, custom domain)
Basic publication page (limited customization)
SEPA / Direct debit
Yes, via GoCardless
No
Invoicing & VAT
Automatic (compliant invoices, dunning, VAT handling)
No invoicing, no VAT management
Customer portal
Included (Portal: subscription, invoices, payment management)
Basic subscriber settings page
Emails & automations
Built-in workflows (triggers, filters, email sending)
Newsletter sending only: no advanced automations
Audience discovery
Not included: you bring your own audience
Included (Substack network, recommendations)
Data hosting
EU (GDPR compliant)
US-based
White label
Yes (custom domain, branding)
Limited: Substack branding always present
The real cost
Substack is "free", until you do the math.
Substack has no monthly fee. Sounds great. But they take 10% of your subscriber revenue, forever. At €5,000/mo in revenue, that’s €500/mo going to Substack. PayFacile charges a flat €24 to €48/mo + just 1% per transaction (0.5% on Enterprise).
Substack
PayFacile
Platform fee
Free (but 10% commission)
€24 to €48/mo (+ 1% per transaction)
At €1,000/mo revenue
€100/mo to Substack
€34 to €58/mo (sub + 1%)
At €5,000/mo revenue
€500/mo to Substack
€74 to €98/mo (sub + 1%)
At €10,000/mo revenue
€1,000/mo to Substack
€124 to €148/mo (sub + 1%)
Invoicing & VAT
Not available
Included
SEPA payments
Not available
Included (GoCardless)
Total
10% forever, grows with your revenue
€24 to €48/mo flat + 1% per transaction
With Substack, the more you earn, the more you pay. With PayFacile, your cost stays flat.
Why PayFacile
More than a newsletter. A complete business platform.
SEPA & Direct Debit
Accept SEPA direct debit via GoCardless, the preferred payment method for many Europeans. Substack only supports credit cards via Stripe.
Built-in Website & Store
Create a full website with drag-and-drop editor, custom domain, white label. Sell subscriptions, courses, digital products, not just newsletters.
Full Customer Portal
Your subscribers manage their own subscription, invoices, and payment method. Substack offers only basic subscriber settings.
GDPR Compliant, EU Data
Your data is stored in the EU. PayFacile is GDPR compliant by design. Substack is US-based with US data hosting.
Workflows & Automations
Trigger automatic actions: welcome emails, payment reminders, segmentation. No third-party tools needed.
Who it's for
Substack is great, for writers who want built-in readers
If you’re a writer or journalist, and audience discovery through the Substack network matters to you, Substack is a strong choice. Their recommendation engine can help you grow from zero.
But if you’re a coach, trainer, entrepreneur, or creator selling more than newsletters (and you want to keep 100% of your revenue, handle VAT, accept SEPA, and own your brand) PayFacile is built for you.
Got questions
Frequently asked questions
Substack has no monthly fee, but takes 10% of all paid subscriber revenue (plus Stripe’s processing fees). The more you earn, the more you pay. PayFacile charges a flat €24 to €48/mo + a low 1% transaction fee (0.5% on Enterprise).
Yes. PayFacile supports subscriptions, one-time sales, courses, digital files, memberships, and gated content. Substack is limited to paid newsletters.
No. PayFacile does not have a built-in recommendation network. You bring your own audience via social media, SEO, or ads. The trade-off: you keep 100% of your revenue and own your subscriber relationships.
Yes. You can export your subscriber list from Substack and import it into PayFacile. Contact us for assisted migration.
No. Substack does not generate invoices and does not handle European VAT. PayFacile provides automatic compliant invoicing with VAT handling.
Stop giving away 10% of your revenue.
Flat monthly fee. Low 1% transaction fee. Invoicing, SEPA, customer portal, all included.
No credit card. No lock-in. Cancel anytime.
Grow your business online with a website, an online store and/or a membership platform!7 reasons to use PayFacile
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