Substack Is Just Twitter But With an Email List
Why now is the best time to write on Substack instead of Twitter!
Substack is the best writing platform right now.
Better than Twitter.
Better than Medium.
Better than LinkedIn.
And most writers are still sleeping on it.
In 2025, Substack raised $100 million and hit a valuation of $1.1 billion. That’s a signal that the platform is going somewhere. And right now, you still have a chance to get there before everyone else does.
Remember Instagram Reels in 2020? When COVID hit and TikTok was dominating, Instagram pushed Reels hard. Creators who showed up early got boosted by the algorithm simply because there wasn’t enough content to fill the feed. They got more reach and more engagement than they could ever get today.
Just for showing up first.
That’s exactly the kind of beginner advantage Substack is offering writers right now.
Substack is more than social media
Here’s the problem with every other platform.
Your reach is decided by the algorithm. You fight for views, maybe pick up some followers — then you start from zero again the next time. And if the platform bans you or shuts down? You’re left with nothing.
In 2020, TikTok got banned in India overnight. Thousands of creators lost their entire audience in a single day. Twitter even banned Trump, the president of the most powerful country in the world. And you still think it may not happen to you!
Creators get deplatformed all the time.
When it happens, there’s no lifeline. No way to reach the people who followed you.
Substack is different.
If Substack bans you tomorrow, you can still reach your audience. Because you own your email list. You can export it, move to a tool like Kit, and keep sending newsletters without missing a beat.
LinkedIn definitely won’t
Twitter won’t let you do that
Instagram won’t let you do that
They keep your audience hostage, monetizing their attention. Mark Zuckerberg will show your audience someone else’s ads while you start from scratch every single post. Substack earns differently. It takes 10% of your subscription revenue. But it’s completely free to use.
Both for you and your readers, to get started.
It has the best of both worlds
Back in 2023, Substack was purely a newsletter platform.
You wrote, you sent, that was it.
Then they launched Notes.
Notes works like tweets — short, punchy, discoverable. But it lives inside the Substack ecosystem, which means every Note you post has the potential to bring new readers directly to your newsletter. Notes is how you get discovered. New readers find you through Notes, and once they do, you nurture them through long-form newsletters — weekly, biweekly, daily, whatever works for you.
Notes attracts. Newsletters nurture.
It’s a complete content engine, with short form as well as long form, built into one platform. And it’s the best of both worlds you could have asked for as a writer.
Here’s a Playbook to help you get started with Substack Notes.
It is free to start
And paid subscribers are yours to keep.
There’s no entry barrier. For readers or writers.
You sign up with your email and you’re ready to go. No credit card. No monthly fee. Nothing.
And if you want to monetize, you can turn on paid subscriptions from day one. I wouldn’t recommend rushing into it — but if you’re clear on your niche and you know the value you’re offering, nothing is stopping you. Substack only takes 10% of your subscription revenue. So if a reader pays $100 a year, Substack keeps $10 and you keep $90.
That’s it. No hidden charges. No platform tax just for existing.
Get in before it gets crowded
The window is still open.
Even in 2026, if you’re writing on Substack, you’re early. Think about YouTube between 2010 and 2015. The platform was actively boosting early creators just to fill the feed. Channels that would struggle to get 1,000 views today were pulling millions back then. Not because they were better, but because they were first.
That’s where Substack is right now.
And here’s what makes it even better: it’s the one platform you can focus on without getting distracted. No need to juggle Twitter and LinkedIn and Medium all at once. Just Substack. Show up, write, grow.
I’ve been writing on Medium since 2025, so I can manage both. But if you’re just starting out, I’d say shift your focus entirely to Substack. Get your footing there first. Once you’ve built an audience and found your rhythm, you can always expand.
But right now? Substack deserves your full attention.
The early window doesn’t stay open forever.