A curated list of the best Substacks, resources, and tools for readers, writers, and creators on Substack.
Substack has become one of the most important platforms for independent writing, journalism, and publishing. With over 35 million active readers and thousands of writers earning a living from their work, it represents a quiet revolution in how we consume and create media. This list aims to help you discover outstanding publications across every category, along with the tools and resources to get the most out of the platform.
- Technology & Software Engineering
- Artificial Intelligence & Machine Learning
- Business & Startups
- Finance & Investing
- Economics & Policy
- Science & Research
- Culture & Society
- Writing & Literature
- History
- Philosophy & Ideas
- Politics & Journalism
- Health & Wellness
- Design & Creativity
- Food & Lifestyle
- Career & Productivity
- Climate & Environment
- Crypto & Web3
- Humor
- Tools for Substack Readers
- Tools for Substack Writers
- Growth & Strategy Resources
- Substack Alternatives
- Official Substack Resources
- Community & Discovery
- Contributing
- Stratechery - Ben Thompson's essential analysis of technology strategy, business models, and the tech industry. One of the original and most influential paid newsletters.
- The Pragmatic Engineer - Gergely Orosz covers Big Tech and startups from the inside. Highly relevant for software engineers, AI engineers, and engineering leaders.
- ByteByteGo - Alex Xu's system design newsletter with visual explanations of large-scale systems and architecture patterns.
- The Chip Letter - Bridging the gap between the semiconductor industry and business, with deep dives into chip design and manufacturing.
- Platformer - Casey Newton's reporting at the intersection of technology, politics, and culture.
- Big Technology - Alex Kantrowitz covers big tech and society with deeply reported analysis.
- Lenny's Newsletter - Weekly advice column about building product, driving growth, and accelerating your career in tech.
- The Generalist - Mario Gabriele's long-form deep dives into companies, industries, and ideas shaping the business world, with beautiful visuals.
- Digital Native - Rex Woodbury on how people and technology intersect, with sharp weekly analysis.
- Newcomer - Eric Newcomer's deeply reported newsletter on venture capital and the startup industry.
- SemiAnalysis - Deep technical analysis of the semiconductor industry, AI hardware, and computing infrastructure.
- Construction Physics - Brian Potter explores why things are built the way they are and what's changing.
- Computers Are Bad - Deep-cut technical and historical explorations of computing infrastructure.
- Scarlet Ink - Dave Anderson (ex-Amazon Principal Engineer) on career development, leadership, and talent in tech.
- Latent Space - The AI Engineer newsletter and top technical AI podcast covering how leading labs build Agents, Models, and Infrastructure.
- One Useful Thing - Ethan Mollick (Wharton professor) on understanding the implications of AI for work, education, and life.
- Ahead of AI - Sebastian Raschka's deep dives into machine learning and AI research, read by 150,000+ researchers and practitioners.
- Import AI - Jack Clark's weekly newsletter with detailed analysis of cutting-edge AI research.
- The Algorithmic Bridge - Alberto Romero on the intersection of AI and the human experience, bridging the gap for a wider audience.
- Understanding AI - Timothy B. Lee (ex-Washington Post, Vox, Ars Technica) explains AI developments in accessible terms.
- AI Snake Oil - Arvind Narayanan and Sayash Kapoor cut through AI hype with academic rigor.
- Simon Willison's Weblog - Prolific and insightful commentary on AI tools, LLMs, and the developer ecosystem.
- Gradient Flow - Ben Lorica on trends in AI, data infrastructure, and MLOps.
- The Batch - Andrew Ng's weekly AI newsletter covering the most important developments.
- Gary Marcus - One of AI's most prominent public intellectuals offering critical perspectives on AI progress and safety.
- Hyperdimensional - Dean W. Ball on AI policy, governance, and the future of regulation.
- The AI Edge - Damien Benveniste goes deep into ML engineering, system design, algorithms, and MLOps.
- AI Supremacy - Michael Spencer's coverage of the AI ecosystem, industry trends, and cultural impact.
- Interconnects - Nathan Lambert on RLHF, language model alignment, and AI research from the inside.
- Supervised - Matthew Linley covers AI, language models, and big data with a hands-on technical background.
- Altern AI Newsletter - Daily dispatch from Altern, the internet's best directory for AI tools and agents. Covers the latest breakthroughs, tool spotlights, and expert-curated insights.
- AI For Developers - Official newsletter of aifordevelopers.org — a curated hub for developers building with AI. Weekly updates on the best tools, frameworks, APIs, and practical coding workflows.
- Decoding Discontinuity - Raphaëlle d'Ornano on AI's impact on markets, finance, and business strategy.
- Not Boring - Packy McCormick's newsletter about optimism, ambition, and the companies building the future. Beautifully written deep dives.
- The Diff - Byrne Hobart on inflections in finance and technology, where the most interesting changes are happening.
- Lenny's Newsletter - Product management, growth strategies, and career advice used by teams at Notion, Stripe, and OpenAI.
- Category Pirates - The leading newsletter for entrepreneurs and creators who want to design and dominate new categories.
- Exec Sum - Litquidity's irreverent take on Wall Street, finance, and business culture.
- The Hustle - Daily business and tech news delivered with personality.
- Feed Me - A newsletter about the spirit of enterprise, startups, and building companies.
- Sourcery - Molly O'Shea tracks venture capital deals, startup trends, and interviews tech leaders.
- SaaS Weekly - Weekly insights and resources to grow and fund your startup.
- Ultra Successful - Dr. Julie Gurner's psychology of peak success, drawn from coaching top-percentile performers.
- BIG by Matt Stoller - The history and politics of monopoly power and corporate concentration.
- The Bear Cave - Edwin Dorsey's investigative newsletter uncovering corporate fraud and short-selling ideas.
- The Marketing Newsletter - Ideas to help marketers and creators grow faster and work smarter. Covers marketing trends, strategies, and actionable insights for digital marketers.
- Net Interest - Marc Rubinstein's deeply researched analysis of financial services, banking, and fintech.
- The Macro Compass - Alfonso Peccatiello on macro investing, bond markets, and cross-asset analysis.
- Kyla Scanlon - Economics, markets, and culture explained through engaging writing and viral video content.
- Citrini Research - Actionable investment insights on market megatrends from AI to fiscal policy. Featured in Bloomberg and The Economist.
- The Transcript - Curated insights from earnings call transcripts revealing what management is really saying about the economy.
- The Finance Newsletter - Andrew Lokenauth delivers investing, economics, and financial education from 20 years in finance.
- The Pomp Letter - Anthony Pompliano on Bitcoin, finance, and technology.
- Overshoot - Matthew C. Klein's data-driven deep dives into global trade and financial flows.
- Apricitas Economics - Joseph Politano's visual, data-rich analysis of the US and global economy.
- Investor Amnesia - Jamie Catherwood explores the history of finance and investing.
- The Bubble Bubble Report - Analysis of precious metals and major global economic risks including credit and asset bubbles.
- Chartbook - Adam Tooze's newsletter on economics, geopolitics, and history. More freewheeling than his FT or Foreign Policy writing.
- Noahpinion - Noah Smith's sharp commentary on economics, policy, and the world.
- Slow Boring - Matthew Yglesias on policy, politics, and economics with a focus on practical solutions.
- Money Stuff - Matt Levine's legendary daily column on finance, law, and the absurdities of Wall Street (via Bloomberg).
- The Honest Broker - Ted Gioia on music, books, culture, and the human side of business and creativity.
- Global Inequality and More - Branko Milanovic's consistently insightful short-form posts on economics, geopolitics, and book reviews.
- Full Stack Economics - Timothy B. Lee on technology, economics, and public policy.
- Marginal Revolution - Tyler Cowen and Alex Tabarrok's long-running economics blog.
- Maximum Progress - Max Tabarrok on economics, science, philosophy, and progress.
- Your Local Epidemiologist - Dr. Katelyn Jetelina translates public health science into evidence-based decisions for everyday life.
- Ground Truths - Eric Topol's newsletters and podcasts on the latest advances in life science and medicine. Featured in NYT, WaPo, and WSJ.
- Experimental History - Adam Mastroianni's fascinating explorations of psychology, science, and human behavior.
- Asimov Press - Independent research and the best science writing from across the blogosphere. "Journals are dumb. This is better."
- After Babel - Jonathan Haidt on the psychological, social, and relational aspects of technology and social media on youth.
- Rob Henderson - Human nature, psychology, social class, and luxury beliefs.
- DYNOMIGHT - Exquisitely rigorous, data-driven essays about biology, AI, and more.
- Works in Progress - An online magazine exploring what it takes to make progress, from science to governance.
- Speculative Technologies - Updates on new research institutions and improving how we turn science fiction into reality.
- Cremieux Recueil - Data-driven analysis of psychology, economics, and genetics.
- Culture Study - Anne Helen Petersen on burnout culture, work, politics, and the way we live now.
- Garbage Day - Ryan Broderick's guide to the weird and wonderful world of internet culture.
- Internet Princess - Rayne Fisher-Quann's viral essays on culture, feminism, and the internet.
- Audacity - Roxane Gay's incisive commentary on feminism, politics, and the creative world.
- Maybe Baby - Haley Nahman's introspective essays on identity, mental health, and modern relationships.
- The Prism - Gurwinder Bhogal on how fragile human psychology is and how we're shaped by the information we consume.
- Waking Up - Sam Harris on consciousness, meditation, neuroscience, and current events.
- Many Such Cases - Magdalene Taylor's dissection of sexuality and culture.
- Communion - Eloquent, intimate, and original essays interrogating everything from victimhood to desire.
- Fresh Hell - Observations, rants, news obsessions, and human exchanges from a decades-long career in media.
- The Convivial Society - L.M. Sacasas on technology, culture, and the moral dimensions of our technological choices.
- Woman of Letters - Naomi Kanakia on the Great Books, classic literature, and the contemporary publishing world.
- Austin Kleon's Newsletter - The bestselling author of Steal Like an Artist shares weekly creative inspiration and book recommendations.
- Dreyer's English - Ben Dreyer (former chief copy editor, Random House) on language, grammar, and usage — like a modern, funny Strunk & White.
- Ever Not Quite - L.M. Anderson's crystal clear, stunningly beautiful essays on our ambivalent relationship with modern technology.
- Pulled From Print - Adam Eli on literature and the written word.
- The Bookshelf - Mr. and Mrs. Psmith's witty literary commentary. "The P is silent, as in pshrimp or pseudonym."
- Collected Poems - A curated space for poetry and verse on Substack.
- Celine Nguyen - Beautifully designed essays on books, writing, and personal experiences from a product designer and writer.
- Letters from an American - Heather Cox Richardson provides historical context on current U.S. politics. One of the biggest Substacks by subscribers.
- Chartbook - Adam Tooze's wide-ranging explorations of economic and political history.
- History Can't Hide - Kahlil Greene (the "Gen Z Historian") uncovers hidden history, untold narratives, and eye-opening insights about race, oppression, and culture.
- The Culturist - Rediscovering the truth, beauty, and goodness of our past — art, literature, music, and cultural history.
- Anton Howes - Tales from the history of innovation. "The best history Substack in the biz."
- Brown History - "If history is written by the victors, then Brown History is the story of the Vanquished — retold, reclaimed, and remembered."
- PREVAIL - Greg Olear on politics, history, national security, foreign affairs, organized crime, and dirty money.
- Interesting Letters - Nothing but history's most interesting letters.
- Ancient Origins - Uncovering one of the most important pieces of knowledge: our beginnings.
- Organized Distractedness - Timothy Burke's regular doses of history, politics, cooking, academia, and geek culture.
- The Marginalian - Maria Popova's beloved exploration of ideas across art, science, philosophy, and the humanities.
- Escaping Flatland - Henrik Karlsson's essays on thinking, learning, and living well. Deeply considered and widely shared.
- From the Forests of Arduinna - Rhyd Wildermuth's political commentary, cultural critique, religion, and personal essays from a druid and autonomous Marxist.
- The Upheaval - N.S. Lyons on politics, technology, and the forces shaping the modern world.
- Hands and Cities - Joe Carlsmith on effective altruism, philosophy, and ethics.
- The Intrinsic Perspective - Erik Hoel on consciousness, neuroscience, education, and sundry other topics.
- Drop Site News - Jeremy Scahill, Ryan Grim, and team deliver independent reporting on American politics and world affairs.
- Abortion, Every Day - Jessica Valenti's comprehensive daily newsletter dedicated to abortion rights and reproductive justice.
- Popular Information - Judd Legum's accountability journalism investigating corporate power and politics.
- The Free Press - Bari Weiss's publication covering politics, culture, and ideas.
- Silver Bulletin - Nate Silver's data-driven analysis of politics, sports, and prediction.
- Mehdi Hasan - The journalist and broadcaster on politics, media, and global affairs.
- Tangle - Isaac Saul presents both sides of political debates with radical transparency.
- Your Local Epidemiologist - Dr. Katelyn Jetelina translates public health science for evidence-based personal decisions.
- Ground Truths - Eric Topol on the cutting edge of medicine and life science.
- Sensible Medicine - Critical analysis of medical evidence, clinical trials, and healthcare policy.
- Navigate Nutrition - Tools to think critically about nutrition science and make informed decisions.
- On The Rocks - Olivia Noceda pairs soulful reflections with nourishing rituals — mocktail recipes, seasonal meals, and small sensory joys.
- Breathing Space - Camille Styles on thoughtful storytelling, honest reflections, and intentional living.
- Dense Discovery - Kai Brach's curated newsletter on design, tech, culture, and sustainability from Melbourne.
- Garance Doré - Fashion, style, and life from the beloved illustrator and photographer.
- Trademarked - Tariro Makoni on consumer culture — not just what the trends are, but why we're obsessed with them.
- Zara Wong - Impeccably curated recommendations on fashion, culture, and what to pay attention to in the industry.
- Thinking in Systems - Robin Good on curation, independent publishing, and building sustainable online businesses.
- Mon's Letter - Paris-based Monica Ainley's weekly takes on fashion, culture, and France.
- The Cooking of Joy - Joyful recipes and cooking stories.
- Vittles - Jonathan Nunn's food writing that goes beyond recipes into culture, history, and community.
- London Centric - Your insider guide to the UK capital — curated weekend picks and local culture.
- Shelf Life - Otegha Uwagba's curated shopping lists, gift guides, and fashion week insights.
- Lenny's Newsletter - The go-to resource for product managers and growth leaders.
- The Skip - A bi-weekly newsletter on managing up, executive communication, and standing out as a high-performer.
- High Growth Engineer - Jordan Cutler on career skills for turning potential into performance in tech.
- Wes Kao - Essays on the endless journey of building products, teams, and ourselves.
- Strategize Your Career - Strategies, tips, and resources for behavioral interviews from a FAANG+ insider.
- Techlead Mentor - An ex-Amazon Principal Engineer on systems thinking for more effective engineering and career growth.
- Biocentric - Topics on greenwashing, degrowth, ecological collapse, grassroots organizing, deep ecology, and nature connection.
- Fearless Green - Rebecca Wisent's informed, nuanced perspective on environmental topics from the Pacific Northwest.
- Heated - Emily Atkin's investigative journalism on the climate crisis and those responsible.
- Volts - David Roberts on clean energy and politics.
- Bill McKibben - The veteran climate writer and activist on the fight for a livable planet.
- The Pomp Letter - Anthony Pompliano on Bitcoin, crypto, finance, and technology.
- Week in Ethereum News - A comprehensive weekly roundup of Ethereum ecosystem developments.
- Bankless - Navigating the crypto financial system with guides, analysis, and news.
- Hung Up - Comedic Hollywood critiques and celebrity culture with a distinctive voice.
- Galaxy Brain - Charlie Warzel's newsletter with humor and sharp cultural analysis.
- The Whippet - McKinley Valentine's fortnightly grab-bag of interesting things — facts, history, science, and oddities.
- Substack Reader App - The official Substack mobile app for reading, discovering, and managing your subscriptions in one place.
- Substack Reader (Web) - The web-based feed reader for all your Substack subscriptions.
- Substaker - Tools and resources for Substack readers and creators.
- Sidestack - A directory of top Substack newsletters and authors across every category, with subscriber counts and rankings.
- Reletter - Charts and rankings of the most popular newsletters on Substack with engagement scores, traffic estimates, and contacts.
- SubstackTools - A utility for tracking and exploring Substack publications by analyzing follower counts across Notes, Chat, and the Web.
- InboxReads - Curated collections of the best newsletters, including Substack, filterable by topic.
- Substack Discover - Substack's built-in discovery page for finding new publications by category and topic.
- Feedbin - RSS reader that also supports following Substack newsletters alongside traditional RSS feeds.
- Meco - A newsletter aggregator that moves newsletters out of your inbox and into a distraction-free reader.
- Omnivore - Open-source read-it-later app that works well with Substack newsletters.
- Substack Dashboard - Built-in analytics, subscriber management, growth charts, and traffic source breakdowns.
- Google Analytics 4 (GA4) - Add your GA4 Measurement ID in Substack settings for deeper traffic analysis, UTM tracking, and conversion insights.
- Google Search Console - Free tool for managing search performance and understanding how your Substack ranks in Google.
- Google Trends - Research trending topics and see how interest in specific subjects changes over time.
- Campaign URL Builder - Generate UTM-tagged links to track which channels drive your Substack subscribers.
- Canva - Design newsletter headers, social sharing images, and visual content for your posts.
- Hemingway Editor - Improve readability and clarity of your newsletter writing.
- Grammarly - Grammar, tone, and style checking for polished newsletter copy.
- Unsplash - Free, high-quality photos for your newsletter imagery.
- Typefully - Write, schedule, and publish to Twitter/X — useful for promoting Substack posts via threads.
- SparkLoop - Newsletter referral platform that integrates with Substack for cross-promotion.
- GeniusLink / Booklinker - Track where your clicks are originating from across platforms.
- Tabular - Drag-and-drop email template editor for creating beautiful newsletter designs.
- On Substack (Official Blog) - Product updates, case studies, feature announcements, and advice from the Substack team.
- Substack Resource Center - Official guides on getting started, going paid, podcasting, fostering community, and building a media business.
- Substack Going Paid Guide - Everything writers need to know about launching paid subscriptions.
- Write Build Scale - Substack growth strategies, hidden features, and tested tactics for scaling your audience.
- Escape the Cubicle - Deep dives into Substack's built-in tools and features, with practical growth advice.
- Substack Course - Comprehensive tutorials on Substack analytics, subscriber management, and monetization.
- Really Good Business Ideas - Analysis of the biggest Substack publications, subscriber data, and patterns behind what makes newsletters succeed.
- Substack Notes - Substack's built-in micro-blogging feature for short-form content and community engagement.
- Substack Recommendations - Official documentation on using the recommendations feature for cross-promotion.
- Substack Boost - Substack's native tool that uses discounts and offers at the right moment to maximize revenue.
- Substack Subscriber Referrals - Built-in referral tools for growing your audience through word-of-mouth.
If Substack isn't quite the right fit, here are the most popular alternatives for newsletter publishing.
- Ghost - Open-source, self-hostable publishing platform with full ownership, built-in SEO, and custom design. Takes 0% of your revenue.
- Beehiiv - Built by the Morning Brew team, with a built-in ad network, referral programs, and SEO tools. Flat monthly fee instead of percentage-based pricing.
- Kit (formerly ConvertKit) - Email marketing platform with automation, landing pages, and paid newsletter support for creators.
- Buttondown - Minimal, developer-friendly newsletter tool with Markdown support and clean aesthetics.
- MailerLite - Affordable all-in-one email marketing with automation, segmentation, and a drag-and-drop editor.
- WordPress + MailPoet - Full ownership with newsletters sent directly from your WordPress site.
- Medium - Built-in audience exposure with the Partner Program for monetization, though less control over your subscriber list.
- Revue (by Twitter/X) - Minimalist newsletter platform integrated with Twitter (availability may vary).
- Patreon - Reward-based subscription model supporting multiple content formats beyond just writing.
- Listmonk - High-performance, open-source, self-hosted mailing list and newsletter manager.
- Substack - The platform itself.
- Substack Blog - Official updates, writer success stories, and feature announcements.
- Substack Help Center - Official documentation and support.
- Substack for Writers - Guides, tips, and best practices for publishers.
- Substack Community & Programs - Grants, fellowships, and community programs for writers.
- Substack Brand Assets - Official logos and brand guidelines.
- Substack Top Charts - Leaderboards of the most popular Substacks across all categories.
- Substack Vulnerability Policy - Security disclosure information.
- Substack Discover - Browse and discover new publications by topic and category.
- Substack Notes - Micro-blogging and community conversation layer within the Substack ecosystem.
- Substack Chat - Direct messaging and group discussion features for publication communities.
- Substack Top Podcasts - Discover the best podcasts published on the platform.
- Substack Leaderboards by Category - Explore top publications in every category from technology to food and drink.
- Sidestack Directory - Third-party searchable directory of Substack publications with detailed stats.
- Reletter Charts - Real-time popularity rankings of Substack newsletters across categories.
Contributions welcome! If you know of an outstanding Substack publication, tool, or resource that belongs on this list, please open a pull request or issue.
Please read the contribution guidelines first.
Guidelines:
- The Substack should be active (published within the last 3 months).
- The Substack should be consistently high quality.
- Include the name, URL, and a brief description.
- Place it in the appropriate category, maintaining alphabetical order.
To the extent possible under law, the contributors have waived all copyright and related or neighboring rights to this work.
