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 87.7% estimated Share of Search among paid newsletter platforms worldwide and is ranked 1st of 5 competitors for search popularity. These are worldwide searches for English-language branded terms.
Substack87.7%
MailerLite7.4%
beehiiv2.5%
Kit1.7%Ghost0.74%
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Which paid newsletter platforms compete with Substack?
Share of Search by month for Substack, MailerLite, beehiiv. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of search table
| Month | Substack | MailerLite | beehiiv | Kit | Ghost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 76.7% | 14.1% | 3.8% | 4% | 1.4% |
| Nov 2025 | 77.2% | 14.1% | 3.8% | 3.6% | 1.3% |
| Dec 2025 | 82.8% | 10.2% | 2.8% | 3.1% | 1.1% |
| Jan 2026 | 82.9% | 10.1% | 3.4% | 2.6% | 0.98% |
| Feb 2026 | 80.6% | 11.9% | 4% | 2.4% | 1.2% |
| Mar 2026 | 82.3% | 10.4% | 4.1% | 2.2% | 1.1% |
| Apr 2026 | 82.3% | 10.3% | 4.1% | 2.2% | 1.1% |
| May 2026 | 82.9% | 10.5% | 3.5% | 2% | 1.1% |
| Jun 2026 | 83.2% | 10.3% | 3.4% | 2.2% | 0.9% |
| Jul 2026 | 83.7% | 10.3% | 3.4% | 1.7% | 0.85% |
| Aug 2026 | 87.7% | 7.4% | 2.5% | 1.7% | 0.74% |
| Sep 2026 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Rank | Brand | Share of Search | Estimated monthly branded searches | vs prior month | Share change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1, held 1st | 87.7% | 2.5M | +20.6% | +4.1 points | |
| 2, held 2nd | 7.4% | 211K | -18% | -3 points | |
| 3, held 3rd | 2.5% | 70.6K | -16.5% | -0.9 points | |
| 4, held 4th | 1.7% | 48.4K | +11.2% | -0.1 points | |
| 5, held 5th | 0.74% | 21.2K | +0.33% | -0.1 points |
1.
87.7%
Held 1st. 2.5M estimated branded searches, +20.6% vs prior month. Share +4.1 points.
7.4%
Held 2nd. 211K estimated branded searches, -18% vs prior month. Share -3 points.
3.
beehiiv2.5%
Held 3rd. 70.6K estimated branded searches, -16.5% vs prior month. Share -0.9 points.
4.
Kit1.7%
Held 4th. 48.4K estimated branded searches, +11.2% vs prior month. Share -0.1 points.
5.
0.74%
Held 5th. 21.2K estimated branded searches, +0.33% vs prior month. Share -0.1 points.
Compare search popularity between Substack and its closest rivals
How has branded search demand for Substack changed worldwide over the last 12 months?
2 findings
- 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 paid newsletter platforms worldwide increased from 76.7% to 87.7%.
How did search popularity change for paid newsletter platforms worldwide in August 2026?
5 changes
In August 2026, Substack gained estimated Share of Search among paid newsletter platforms worldwide, from 83.7% to 87.7%.
In August 2026, MailerLite lost estimated Share of Search among paid newsletter platforms worldwide, from 10.3% to 7.4%.
In August 2026, beehiiv lost estimated Share of Search among paid newsletter platforms worldwide, from 3.4% to 2.5%.
Estimated monthly branded searches for Kit worldwide fell 34.5% over 11 measured months, from 73.8K to 48.4K in August 2026.
Estimated monthly branded searches for Ghost worldwide fell 17% over 11 measured months, from 25.5K to 21.2K in August 2026.
Where does Substack compete?
| Competitor set | Rank | Share of Search | Ranking |
|---|---|---|---|
| Membership platforms | 2nd of 5 | 37.9% | Show ranking |
| Newsletter platforms | 1st of 7 | 64.1% | Show ranking |
| Paid newsletter platforms | 1st of 5 | 87.7% | Shown above |
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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Is Substack your brand?
Put your own campaigns, spend and outcomes next to this demand line, so you can see which of your marketing lined up with the movements above.