Brandwave

How popular isSubstack in search?

In August 2026, there were an estimated 2.5M branded searches for Substack worldwide which is up 79.4% over the last 11 months. Substack holds 64.1% estimated Share of Search among newsletter platforms worldwide and is ranked 1st of 7 competitors for search popularity. Worldwide · English terms: these are worldwide searches for English-language branded terms.

Share of Search, August 2026
  1. Substack64.1%
  2. Mailchimp26.9%
  3. MailerLite5.4%
  4. beehiiv1.8%
  5. Kit1.2%
  6. Ghost0.54%
  7. Buttondown0.02%
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Which newsletter platforms compete with Substack?

Substack against newsletter platforms worldwide, by month

Share of Search by month for Substack, Mailchimp, MailerLite. The figures are in the table below the chart.

View monthly share of search table
MonthSubstackMailchimpMailerLitebeehiivKitGhostButtondown
Oct 202541.3%46.1%7.6%2.1%2.2%0.75%0.01%
Nov 202541.5%46.2%7.6%2.1%1.9%0.68%0.01%
Dec 202551.2%38.2%6.3%1.7%1.9%0.68%0.01%
Jan 202651.1%38.3%6.3%2.1%1.6%0.6%0.02%
Feb 202650.2%37.8%7.4%2.5%1.5%0.73%0.02%
Mar 202650.4%38.7%6.4%2.5%1.3%0.66%0.02%
Apr 202650.6%38.5%6.3%2.5%1.3%0.67%0.02%
May 202654.5%34.2%6.9%2.3%1.3%0.73%0.02%
Jun 202654.9%34%6.8%2.2%1.4%0.59%0.02%
Jul 202657.7%31%7.1%2.3%1.2%0.59%0.02%
Aug 202664.1%26.9%5.4%1.8%1.2%0.54%0.02%
Sep 2026———————

  1. 1.Substack

    64.1%

    held 1st · 2.5M estimated branded searches · +20.6% vs prior month · +6.4 points

  2. 2.Mailchimp

    26.9%

    held 2nd · 1.1M estimated branded searches · -5.6% vs prior month · -4.1 points

  3. 3.MailerLite

    5.4%

    held 3rd · 211K estimated branded searches · -18% vs prior month · -1.7 points

  4. 4.beehiiv

    1.8%

    held 4th · 70.6K estimated branded searches · -16.5% vs prior month · -0.5 points

  5. 5.Kit

    1.2%

    held 5th · 48.4K estimated branded searches · +11.2% vs prior month · 0 points

  6. 6.Ghost

    0.54%

    held 6th · 21.2K estimated branded searches · +0.33% vs prior month · 0 points

  7. 7.Buttondown

    0.02%

    held 7th · 620 estimated branded searches · -8.8% vs prior month · 0 points

Compare search popularity between Substack and its closest rivals

How has branded search demand for Substack changed worldwide over the last 12 months?

  • Across the 11 months ending August 2026, estimated monthly branded searches for Substack worldwide rose from 1.4M to 2.5M.
  • Across the 11 months ending August 2026, Substack’s estimated Share of Search among newsletter platforms worldwide increased from 41.3% to 64.1%.
  • Across the 11 months ending August 2026, Substack rose from 2nd to 1st among newsletter platforms worldwide.

How did search popularity change for newsletter platforms worldwide in August 2026?

  1. In August 2026, Substack gained estimated Share of Search among newsletter platforms worldwide, from 57.7% to 64.1%.

  2. In August 2026, Mailchimp lost estimated Share of Search among newsletter platforms worldwide, from 31% to 26.9%.

  3. In August 2026, MailerLite lost estimated Share of Search among newsletter platforms worldwide, from 7.1% to 5.4%.

  4. In August 2026, beehiiv lost estimated Share of Search among newsletter platforms worldwide, from 2.3% to 1.8%.

  5. Estimated monthly branded searches for Buttondown worldwide rose 29.2% over 11 measured months, from 480 to 620 in August 2026.

  6. Estimated monthly branded searches for Kit worldwide fell 34.5% over 11 measured months, from 73.8K to 48.4K in August 2026.

How is Substack measured?

Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Substack’s name. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for these branded terms can be used to understand whether interest in the brand is growing, holding steady, or fading.

18 branded search terms

  • Substack
  • substack app
  • substack articles
  • substack com
  • substack live
  • substack newsletter
  • substack newsletter platform
  • substack newsletters
  • substack notes
  • substack podcast
  • substack subscribe
  • substack subscription
  • substack web
  • substack website
  • substack websites
  • substack.com
  • what is a substack
  • what is substack

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How the Brand Demand Index is measured

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