Paid newsletter platforms:Which are searched most?
In August 2026, Substack was the most searched among paid newsletter platforms worldwide, with an estimated 2.5M branded searches and 87.7% estimated Share of Search within this set. These are worldwide searches for English-language branded terms.
Substack87.7%
MailerLite7.4%
beehiiv2.5%
Kit1.7%Ghost0.74%
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Share of SearchLeaderboard
Compare platforms writers use to publish and charge for a newsletter. Branded searches tell you how often people look for a brand by name or related terms. Comparing these searches across competitors helps you see how popular each brand is over time.
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 | — | — | — | — | — |
This month’s ranking, August 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 leading brands
Which brand is most popular in search among paid newsletter platforms worldwide?
5 brands
In August 2026, Substack was the most searched among paid newsletter platforms worldwide, with an estimated 2.5M branded searches and 87.7% estimated Share of Search within this set. MailerLite is in 2nd place, 80.4 percentage points behind at 7.4% Share of Search.
| Brand | Share of Search | Peak | Low | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Substack | 76.7% → 87.7% | 87.7%Aug 2026 | 76.7%Oct 2025 | 1st |
| MailerLite | 14.1% → 7.4% | 14.1%Nov 2025 | 7.4%Aug 2026 | 2nd |
| beehiiv | 3.8% → 2.5% | 4.1%Apr 2026 | 2.5%Aug 2026 | 4th → 3rd |
| Kit | 4% → 1.7% | 4%Oct 2025 | 1.7%Aug 2026 | 3rd → 4th |
| Ghost | 1.4% → 0.74% | 1.4%Oct 2025 | 0.74%Aug 2026 | 5th |
Each finding as a sentence
- 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%.
- Across the 11 months ending August 2026, MailerLite’s estimated Share of Search among paid newsletter platforms worldwide decreased from 14.1% to 7.4%.
- Across the 11 months ending August 2026, beehiiv’s estimated Share of Search among paid newsletter platforms worldwide decreased from 3.8% to 2.5%.
- Across the 11 months ending August 2026, Kit’s estimated Share of Search among paid newsletter platforms worldwide decreased from 4% to 1.7%.
- Across the 11 months ending August 2026, Ghost’s estimated Share of Search among paid newsletter platforms worldwide decreased from 1.4% to 0.74%.
- Across the 11 months ending August 2026, MailerLite’s estimated Share of Search among paid newsletter platforms worldwide peaked at 14.1% in November 2025 and was lowest at 7.4% in August 2026.
- Across the 11 months ending August 2026, beehiiv’s estimated Share of Search among paid newsletter platforms worldwide peaked at 4.1% in April 2026 and was lowest at 2.5% in August 2026.
- Across the 11 months ending August 2026, beehiiv rose from 4th to 3rd among paid newsletter platforms worldwide.
- Across the 11 months ending August 2026, Kit fell from 3rd to 4th among paid newsletter platforms worldwide.
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.
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