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JoT | Jeff | Substack Review

Depends

Should I use JoT | Jeff | Substack?

A place for me to practice writing on things that interest me, usually something to do with technology or leadership. Click to read JoT, by Jeff, a Substack publication with hundreds of subscribers. - fffej.substack.com

· 3 days ago

Readers of Jeff's tech and leadership essays subscribe for free; they buy nothing. Writers picking Substack as a platform accept a 10% revenue cut and a February 2026 data breach.

Confidence

Medium. Based on about 20 public sources. Most snippets truncate mid-sentence, so the quotes array is empty.

Ratings

  • Value for money
  • Ease of use
  • Feature depth
  • Support quality
  • Security posture

Pricing

$0

Free

ModelNot disclosed
Monthly fees10%
HardwareNot disclosed
Free tierYes
Paid subscriptions10% of revenue + Stripe fees

Best for

  • Readers of tech and leadership essays
  • Writers starting a free newsletter
  • Hobby writers testing paid subscriptions
  • Independent writers wanting editorial control

Not for

  • Teams buying software; this is one person's newsletter
  • Writers unwilling to share 10% of paid revenue
  • Anyone avoiding platforms with recent data breaches
  • Users who expect strong customer support

Gotchas - check before you buy

high

The 10% fee lasts forever. Rivals like Ghost charge flat hosting instead.

high

February 2026 breach exposed emails and phone numbers. Check Have I Been Pwned.

medium

User reports claim in-app payment prices inflate costs by 45%.

medium

Trustpilot reviews report weak customer service and deep dissatisfaction.

Pros and cons

Pros

  • Publishing and reading cost nothing upfront.
  • Writers keep full editorial control.
  • Platform reaches about 50 million users, per Forbes.
  • Reviewers call it a great low-cost start for writers.

Cons

  • Substack keeps 10% of paid subscription revenue.
  • Stripe adds 2.9% plus $0.30 per transaction.
  • February 2026 breach exposed emails and phone numbers.
  • Trustpilot shows many deeply dissatisfied customers.

Sources & method

- 10 sources - Confirmed breach in February 2026 exposed subscriber emails and phone numbers; Substack disclosed the incident.

official x1review x6security x2news x1
  • Substack data breach (February 2026), A hacker leaked subscriber emails and phone numbers. Have I Been Pwned lists the breach.
  • Security incident disclosure, Substack disclosed a security incident after a hacker leaked data.

Key stats

  • Value for money: 4/5

    Rating

  • $0

    Starting price

  • 10

    Sources

  • Analyzed

  • Value for money: 4/5. Free to start; 10% paid fee is the catch.
  • Ease of use: 4/5. Simple publishing; writers start with no setup.
  • Feature depth: 2/5. Basic tools; rivals add growth and design features.
  • Support quality: 2/5. Trustpilot shows many dissatisfied customers.
  • Security posture: 2/5. Confirmed 2026 breach exposed emails and phones.
  • $0 Cost to publish Free until you charge readers
  • 10% Fee on paid posts Plus Stripe 2.9% and $0.30
  • 74 Trustpilot reviews Many reviewers deeply dissatisfied
  • Yes 2026 data breach Emails and phone numbers exposed

Pricing

Free

$0

  • Unlimited free posts
  • Hosting and email included

Paid subscriptions

10% of revenue + Stripe fees

  • Writer sets the price
  • Stripe adds 2.9% plus $0.30

Security

Confirmed breach in February 2026 exposed subscriber emails and phone numbers; Substack disclosed the incident.

  • Substack data breach (February 2026)A hacker leaked subscriber emails and phone numbers. Have I Been Pwned lists the breach.⁶
  • Security incident disclosureSubstack disclosed a security incident after a hacker leaked data.⁵

What users say

Writers call Substack a great low-cost start, while Trustpilot customers report deep dissatisfaction and the 2026 breach angered users.

Alternatives

Compare JoT | Jeff | Substack with each alternative.

  • Ghost

    No revenue cut, but you pay flat hosting.

  • beehiiv

    Newsletter platform with growth tools, positioned against Substack fees.

    JoT | Jeff | Substack vs beehiiv

  • Plain blog or email list

    Costs nothing and suits writers with tiny audiences.

Full analysis

Based on about 20 public sources. Most snippets truncate mid-sentence, so the quotes array is empty.

Free personal tech and leadership newsletter on Substack; readers pay nothing, writers face a 10% fee and a 2026 breach.

Methodology

Based on about 20 public sources. Most snippets truncate mid-sentence, so the quotes array is empty.

Read how a report is made.

Sources

  1. How much does Substack cost?support.substack.com
    official
  2. Substack's 10% Fee Penalizes Success - Sacrasacra.com
    review
  3. How Much Does Substack Cost Creators In 2026? - beehiivbeehiiv.com
    review
  4. Read Customer Service Reviews of substack.com - Trustpilottrustpilot.com
    review
  5. Substack Discloses Security Incident After Hacker Leaks Data - SecurityWeeksecurityweek.com
    security
  6. Substack Data Breach - Have I Been Pwnedhaveibeenpwned.com
    security
  7. Substack Hacked: What 50 Million Users Need To Know - Forbesforbes.com
    news
  8. Is substack worth it to you as a writer or as a reader? - Redditreddit.com
    review
  9. A Comprehensive Substack Review - Davey and Kristadaveyandkrista.com
    review
  10. Alternatives to Substack - Redditreddit.com
    review

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