Substack Pricing Calculator
Want $3000 monthly net from Substack? Substack takes 10% plus Stripe 2.9% + $0.30 per sub, so you need to price higher than target divided by subscribers. Enter desired net monthly income, estimated paid subscriber count, fees, and annual discount you plan to offer. See required monthly price, recommended annual price, projected gross, and actual net after fees. Helps price before you launch or before you raise prices.
Instant calculations · Editable fee assumptions · Export-ready results
Inputs
Values update results instantly. Adjust fee assumptions to match your seller dashboard.
Income goal
Net you want after all fees, monthly.
Audience
Expected paid subs at this price.
Fees
Flat 10% usually.
Typically 2.9%.
Fixed per monthly charge, usually $0.30.
Annual plan
Discount for annual plan, e.g. 15%.
Results
Live estimates based on your inputs and editable fee assumptions.
Required monthly price
$15.65
Price to hit net goal at estimated subs.
Recommended annual price
$157.78
Monthly ×12 × (1-discount).
Monthly equivalent of annual
$13.15
Annual ÷12.
Projected gross monthly
$2,347.88
Required price × paid subs.
Estimated fees monthly
$347.88
Substack + Stripe.
Projected net monthly
$2,000.00
Should match desired (validation).
Effective fee rate
14.8%
Fees ÷ gross.
Net yearly per subscriber
$160.00
Net monthly ×12 ÷ subs.
What this means
To net $2000.00 monthly with 150 paid subs after 12.9% variable + $0.30 fixed each: charge $15.65 monthly, annual $157.78 (16% off, $13.15/mo equiv). Gross $2347.88, fees $347.88, net $2000.00 hits goal, effective 14.8%, $160.00 net per sub yearly.
Pricing needed vs fees
Interactive breakdown of fees, costs, and remaining profit.
Distribution
- Fees$347.8814.8%
- Net income$2,000.0085.2%
Total $2,347.88 · 2 segments · interactive
Line-item breakdown
Dollar amounts, share of revenue, and visual proportion.
- Desired net monthly
- $2,000.00
- Paid subscribers
- 150
- Variable fee rate
- 12.9%
- Fixed per sub
- $0.30
- Required monthly price
- $15.65
- Annual discount
- 16.0%
- Recommended annual price
- $157.78
- Monthly equiv annual
- $13.15
- Projected gross monthly
- $2,347.88
- Estimated fees
- $347.88
- Projected net
- $2,000.00
- Net per sub yearly
- $160.00
Assumptions used
- • Price = (2000.00 + 150×$0.30) ÷ (150×0.871) = $15.65
- • Annual $15.65×12×84% = $157.78
- • Fees $2347.88×12.9% + 150×$0.30 = $347.88
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Substack Pricing Calculator
Generated 7/30/2026, 5:12:45 AM · Currency USD
Inputs
- Desired net monthly income: 2000
- Estimated paid subscribers: 150
- Substack platform fee %: 10
- Stripe processing %: 2.9
- Stripe fixed per subscriber: 0.3
- Annual discount you plan to offer %: 16
Results
- Desired net monthly: $2,000.00
- Paid subscribers: 150
- Variable fee rate: 12.9%
- Fixed per sub: $0.30
- Required monthly price: $15.65
- Annual discount: 16.0%
- Recommended annual price: $157.78
- Monthly equiv annual: $13.15
- Projected gross monthly: $2,347.88
- Estimated fees: $347.88
- Projected net: $2,000.00
- Net per sub yearly: $160.00
Interpretation
To net $2000.00 monthly with 150 paid subs after 12.9% variable + $0.30 fixed each: charge $15.65 monthly, annual $157.78 (16% off, $13.15/mo equiv). Gross $2347.88, fees $347.88, net $2000.00 hits goal, effective 14.8%, $160.00 net per sub yearly.
How it works
Methodology & formulas
This calculator is transparent by design. Review the steps and formulas so you can trust the estimate and adjust assumptions when your dashboard differs.
Calculation steps
- 1Collect desiredNet, subs, substack%, stripe%, fixed, annual discount
- 2Calculate price denominator = subs × (1 - substack% - stripe%)
- 3If denominator <=0, price extremely high (fees >=100% impossible)
- 4Required monthly = (desiredNet + subs×fixed) ÷ denominator
- 5Annual price = monthly ×12 × (1 - discount%)
- 6Monthly equivalent annual = annual ÷12
- 7Projected gross = monthly × subs
- 8Fees = gross×(substack%+stripe%) + subs×fixed
- 9Projected net = gross - fees should equal desiredNet (floating error tiny)
Formulas
- Denominator = subs × (1 - substack% - stripe%)
- RequiredMonthly = (desiredNet + subs×fixed) ÷ denominator
- Annual = monthly×12×(1-discount%)
- Gross = monthly × subs
- Fees = gross×(substack%+stripe%) + subs×fixed
- Net = gross - fees
Important assumptions
- Price solves: desiredNet = (price×subs) - (price×subs×(substack%+stripe%) + subs×fixed)
- Rearranged: price = (desiredNet + subs×fixed) / (subs × (1 - substack% - stripe%))
- If annual discount offered, monthly equivalent yearly revenue slightly less but reverse calc uses monthly price as anchor
- Estimated subs assumed constant — does not model churn or conversion from free to paid
- Does not include taxes — add your effective tax rate to desired net if you need pre-tax target
Worked example
$2000 net goal with 150 paid subs
Desired net $2000 monthly, 150 paid subs, 10% Substack, 2.9% + $0.30 Stripe, 16% annual discount
FAQ
Common questions
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