The Blog Starter
Worth it
Confidence: Medium
A free, step-by-step guide for total blogging beginners . zero risk to use.
New check
Comparison
The Blog Starter vs Substack
The Blog Starter lands on Worth it, and Substack lands on Depends.
Substack
Depends
Confidence: High
Buy it if you're an independent writer who wants free publishing with payments and built-in discovery.
| Compare | The Blog Starter | Substack |
|---|---|---|
| Verdict | Worth it | Depends |
| Best for | Total blogging beginners | Independent writers and journalists |
| Who it's not for | Experienced bloggers . nothing new here | Businesses needing brand control or custom design |
| Privacy | No known public vulnerabilities found in the sources reviewed.⁷ | Two confirmed incidents: an October 2025 breach exposed user emails and phone numbers; another security incident was disclosed February 2026.16 |
| Support quality | No support-channel evidence found | Automated replies; hard to reach humans |
| Public sentiment | Users in blogging groups recommend the free guide to newcomers; no substantial complaint threads surfaced in sources reviewed.⁵ | Reviewers praise the ease of use and monetization, but many complain about automated support, platform fees, and Substack turning into another social network.12 |
| Biggest gotcha | Free guide earns affiliate commissions on hosting it recommends . compare independent reviews before buying¹ | Support is auto-replies; no clear human escalation channel per user reports.13 |
Pick The Blog Starter when
- Total blogging beginners
- Non-technical hobbyists
- Budget-conscious first-timers
- Students needing citable how-to references
When The Blog Starter is not a fit
- Experienced bloggers . nothing new here
- Teams wanting managed publishing software
- Anyone expecting support, a dashboard, or a product
- Buyers who avoid affiliate-driven recommendations
Pick Substack when
- Independent writers and journalists
- Creators monetizing paid newsletters
- Zero-budget personal publications
- Writers wanting built-in discovery
When Substack is not a fit
- Businesses needing brand control or custom design
- Teams that require reliable human support
- Anyone collecting sensitive subscriber data
- Marketers needing funnels, automations, or CRM features
Sources
- How to Start a Blog in 2026 - The Blog Startertheblogstarter.comofficial
- Step 1: Get Startedtheblogstarter.comofficial
- Scott Chow Reviews - Trustpilottrustpilot.comreview
- theblogstarter.com Reviews - ShopperApprovedshopperapproved.comreview
- Facebook group recommendationfacebook.comreview
- 9 Tips for Making Your Blog Better - HuffPosthuffpost.comnews
- WordPress Security Guidetheblogstarter.comsecurity
news
- Substack review 2025 | TechRadartechradar.comreview
review
- Substack Reviews | G2g2.comreview
- Substack Reviews | Trustpilottrustpilot.comreview
review
- How much does Substack cost? - Substack Supportsupport.substack.comofficial
official
security