10 Questions to Ask Before You Choose a Newsletter Platform
Choosing a newsletter or blogging platform feels like a marriage. Migrating is painful, so you want to get it right the first time. With so many options—Substack, Ghost, ConvertKit, Postion—it's easy to get lost in feature lists and marketing hype.
To cut through the noise, you need a clear framework. Stop asking "which platform is best?" and start asking "which platform is best for me?" Here is a checklist of 10 critical questions to ask before you commit.
1. How do I get paid, and what is the real cost?
Look beyond the headline price. A "free" platform that takes 10% of your revenue can quickly become your biggest expense. A platform with a fixed fee might be cheaper in the long run. Pro-Tip: Create a spreadsheet and model your costs at $100, $1,000, and $10,000 per month. See our own platform fee cost breakdown here.
2. Who truly owns my content and audience list?
This is non-negotiable. Can you export your content and your email list easily, at any time, with no questions asked? If the answer is anything but a clear "yes," run. This is the foundation of creator data ownership.
3. Can I use my own custom domain?
A yourname.platform.com address tells the world you're building on rented land. A custom domain (yourname.com) is professional, builds trust, and is absolutely essential for long-term SEO success.
4. Does the platform help me grow with SEO?
Some platforms (like Substack) are notoriously weak for search engine optimization. Does the platform provide the tools you need—like control over slugs, meta descriptions, and site structure—to be discovered on Google? An effective internal linking strategy is key, and your platform should facilitate it.
5. How much time will I spend on tech vs. creating?
Are you a writer or a webmaster? Be honest about your technical skills and desire to tinker. A powerful but complex platform could steal dozens of hours from your creative work. (See our Ghost vs. Postion breakdown for non-technical creators for more on this).
6. Will this platform scale with me?
The tool that's perfect for 100 subscribers should also work for 100,000. Will the pricing model punish your success? Does it have the features (like segmentation or a robust API) you might need later?
7. Is it an all-in-one solution?
Will you need to stitch together multiple other tools for community, digital products, or advanced analytics? An integrated platform saves you time, money, and headaches. A key strategy is to "create once, distribute everywhere," and an all-in-one platform makes this possible.
8. Can I build a real community here?
A following is not a community. Does the platform offer tools for interaction, like comments, forums, or member-only spaces? Fostering engagement is how you turn followers into true fans.
9. How easy is it to leave? (The "Prenup")
The best platforms aren't afraid of this question. They make it easy to export your data and redirect your domain because they're confident you'll want to stay. Vendor lock-in is a massive red flag.
10. Who helps me when something breaks?
Is there responsive customer support? A community forum? Comprehensive documentation? When you're running a business, you can't afford to be stuck for days with a technical problem.
Answering these questions honestly will give you a scorecard to judge every option and make the right choice for your future.