The moral case and the business case for not hosting your content at the Nazi-bar
Anti-Substack sentiment has been growing for awhile and for valid reasons, yet many well-meaning writers, especially newcomers, remain unaware of historic and ongoing problems with the platform. When I moved my blog to Substack in 2023, I was oblivious to the already-brewing issues—ignorance that caused me an unfortunate amount of hassle, heartburn, and headache.
I stayed on Substack for longer than I should have, so I get it if you know in your gut and still can't seem to bring yourself to cut ties. You'll get no shade from me! In my case, I have a disabling level of executive dysfunction, and that combined with depressive inertia and analysis paralysis kept me stuck for months beyond the point I knew I needed to leave. I turned off monetization until I could figure out an exit plan. And the thing is, they intentionally make leaving really hard to do (more on that below).
When they rolled out a “Related notes” feature several months ago, it made the experience of engaging on the platform unbearable though, and what they were really up to became unavoidably clear to me. After I’d read any essay or post—on a feminist, socialist, or queer topic, for example—the “related” content served to me by their algorithm was invariably something antisemitic, transphobic, racist, xenophobic, and/or fascist in nature. (I have screenshots, but I'll spare your psyche the exposure.) Substack wanted to be extra sure to shove that shit in front of my eyeballs no matter what, and I'd had enough of their manipulation and abuse.
In a fit of disgust, I ended up removing everything—2 years worth of essays, podcasts, and videos—leaving behind a short farewell post in their place. I still haven’t deleted my account entirely, because even though I stopped accepting monthly and annual paid subscriptions well over a year ago, Substack insists that if I disconnect completely, I will somehow owe them over $400? I haven’t had the energy to contact their helpdesk to try to deal with that, so the account remains for now, a vacated and idle reminder of the trap they set for creators. A lesson I hope others can learn from me: the longer you stay on the platform, especially if you turn on monetization, the more challenging it becomes to disentangle yourself. (But it's never too late. More on that below.)
Now, I’m a writer and advisor for another publication that I learned had plans for expanding their presence on and relationship with Substack, so I felt an obligation to discuss my concerns about this plan with the founder. The publication’s cause is one I care about, so in the interest of aiding the success of this cause, speaking up was necessary. I’m happy to report that the founder agreed and the publication will no longer be pursuing a relationship with Substack. They are now planning an exit strategy from the platform entirely.
I continue to run into people online and off who are still unaware of the problems with Substack, so I’ve decided to share the resources I used to successfully plead my case. I hope sharing my own experiences and these articles other’s have written will help spare your own sanity and your publication’s reputation.
As many of the writers make the case for in the articles below, the leaders of Substack are cut from the same cloth as villainous tech kleptocrats like Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, and Marc Zuckerberg. Substack receives a large chuck of its funding from the techno-fascist Silicon Valley venture capitalist, Marc Andreessen. As you will learn, their business model is financially unsustainable, which should make you wonder what their true motivations are if not profit. Just as Uber operated at a loss for years so they could undercut and eliminate competitors and corner the market, Substack should be suspected of nefarious intent to dominate and control information, at the very least.
If you or a publication you care about needs further convincing—whether you’re more persuaded by the “business case” or the “moral case”—there’s something here for you. I’m also including at least one article in which a writer shares their experience of leaving Substack, where they went, and how it’s going. (I plan to add to this over time. If you know of an article that would be a great fit here, feel free to drop a link in the comments. I might add it into my list!)
In “Don’t call it a Substack,” Anil Dash explains why writers should be concerned about the Substack platform, including its business model, content moderation policies, relationship with venture capital, how calling your work "my Substack" plays into the company's strategy of controlling creators' content and audiences, and how their proprietary features lock writers into their platform while enabling the spread of extremist content under the guise of network effects.
In “The Substack Dilemma: How Creators Are Inadvertently Fueling America's Failure,” Dave Troy uncovers how Substack is part of a larger "Network State" movement aimed at dismantling traditional media and institutions, the concerning ties between Substack's financial backers and right-wing figures, and how the platform's features trap creators on the platform by making it difficult to leave.
Jonathan Katz warned in “Substack Has a Nazi Problem” about the growing problems with Substack hosting and monetizing Nazi and white supremacist content. Despite having terms against hate speech, the platform allows and sometimes profits from newsletters promoting Nazi ideology, while its leadership defends this under the banner of free speech. Citing specific examples, Katz discusses the broader implications for Substack's reputation and business model. Also, read his "Off the 'Stack" post when he relocated to beehiv.
In "Hello, I Must Be Going," A.R. Moxon adds to the discussion by detailing the underhanded tactics Substack's leaders engaged in against some of the creators who voiced concerns.
If you (or a boss) need the “business case” to convince you to avoid Substack, then these next two are for you. In this deep dive, “How Substack steals your audience and your revenue,” Lex Roman exposes how Substack’s features and policies work against creators' interests, from steering readers to their app instead of your email list, to taking high fees (13%) while offering limited monetization options. Lex shows that most writers actually make more money after leaving the platform, but at Substack, “the house always wins.”
In “Death by a thousand substacks,” Tyler Denk argues that Substack is misleading writers about true ownership and independence while secretly positioning itself as a social media platform. He shows how Substack uses "dark patterns" to capture subscribers within its app ecosystem, leverages writers' audiences to build its network, and creates a system where top earners benefit while most creators serve as "yeast" to feed the platform's growth. In the end, Substack replicates the same power dynamics that have harmed publishers on other platforms.
Maia Kobabe also urges readers to avoid Substack and suggests alternative newsletter platforms like Buttondown, Beehiiv, Ghost, and Patreon that offer similar services with better ethical practices in "Substack: home of Nazis, Covid misinformation, anti-vaccine propaganda & transphobia."
Find more potential places to host your writing at A Blog Post About Blogs. Also, see this great explainer from Molly White on Migrating from Substack to self-hosted Ghost.
Finally, if the moral and business cases aren't enough, how about a little peer pressure? As you can see from the posts below, a lot of people simply will not read, let alone subscribe to your writing if it's hosted on Substack. The brand is tainted almost as much as X (nee Twitter), and in all likelihood, you are going to be seen by some as guilty by association. Especially if your beat is writing about topics that oppose what Substack so clearly represents, prepare to have people doubt your sincerity.
substack just announced a new enterprise media offering (whatever that means) in partnership with bari weiss’ website “because of its commitment to pursuing high-integrity journalism.”
if you’re still publishing there, it’s time to get the fuck out.
on.substack.com/p/the-new-me...
— Marisa Kabas (@marisakabas.bsky.social) December 17, 2024 at 4:38 PM
www.thehandbasket.co/p/substack-a...
— Marisa Kabas (@marisakabas.bsky.social) March 1, 2025 at 2:44 PM
Substack may have an easy to use platform, but its leadership has become a liability to all the non-Nazis who use it.
I’ll have more concrete details on my migration plans for Disconnect soon. It’s not something that can be done overnight, especially during the holidays.
— Paris Marx (@parismarx.com) December 29, 2023 at 5:39 AM
This is how you know that the folks who are using Substack KNOW they are using a n@zi platform and just don’t care
— sommerjam (@sommerjam.bsky.social) April 6, 2025 at 7:14 PM
I want to meet you there, but refuse to support Substack in any way. Will you be posting that series anywhere else? 🤞
— Jenn (@boelty.bsky.social) April 6, 2025 at 6:50 PM
“Protests aren’t enough”
— Guy who can’t be bothered to leave Nazi-ass Substack
— Cory Brown (@localmustard.bsky.social) April 6, 2025 at 6:12 PM
In conclusion:
Your interaction with and redistribution of my writing is encouraged and greatly appreciated. If you liked this and you are financially able, please consider leaving me a tip at Ko-fi! My content will always remain free to enjoy, but every bit of support helps me to keep going.
