HEY World
Depends
Confidence: Medium
Buy only if you already pay for HEY email . publishing a post by emailing world@hey.com is delightfully simple.
New check
Comparison
HEY World vs Substack
HEY World and Substack both land 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 | HEY World | Substack |
|---|---|---|
| Verdict | Depends | Depends |
| Best for | Personal essayists | Independent writers and journalists |
| Who it's not for | Businesses or teams . this is personal publishing only | Businesses needing brand control or custom design |
| Privacy | No known public vulnerabilities found in the sources reviewed.13 | Two confirmed incidents: an October 2025 breach exposed user emails and phone numbers; another security incident was disclosed February 2026. |
| Support quality | No support evidence found | Automated replies; hard to reach humans |
| Public sentiment | Users are polarized: loyal multi-year fans love the idea and workflow, while detractors find it obscure and question the $99/year price.³ | Reviewers praise the ease of use and monetization, but many complain about automated support, platform fees, and Substack turning into another social network. |
| Biggest gotcha | Requires a HEY account; full value assumes the $99/year plan12 | Support is auto-replies; no clear human escalation channel per user reports. |
Pick HEY World when
- Personal essayists
- Existing HEY email subscribers
- Zero-setup, no-CMS publishing
- Email-first writers
When HEY World is not a fit
- Businesses or teams . this is personal publishing only
- SEO-driven blogs needing custom domains and themes
- Basic users who won't pay $99/year for email
- Anyone wanting a free newsletter or blog
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
- Product Review: Heysarahmhoban.comreview
review
- Is HEY too much for a basic user?reddit.comreview
- HEY email review - do not buyreddit.comreview
- What makes hey worth it to YOU?reddit.comreview
- HEY EMAIL - 12 MONTHS LATER - Who is still using it and Whytalk.macpowerusers.comreview
- A new review of HEY email in 2024justinharter.comreview
- Hey Review 2026: Pros, Cons, Pricing & Verdictefficient.appreview
- Hey.com: A Bold & Opinionated Approach to Pricingsbigrowth.comreview
- Still a Happy HEY Customerworld.hey.comreview
official
- Signing up for HEYhelp.hey.comofficial
- Product security pageworld.hey.comsecurity
- Serious securityhey.comsecurity
- Security Overview37signals.comsecurity
- Hey (email service)en.wikipedia.orgnews