Subject: An Important Update Regarding the Bill Cara Platform & Subscriptions
February 9, 2026 10:21 ET
Dear Subscribers,
Every decision deserves thoughtful consideration.
My primary obligation as a publisher is to meet—and exceed—the expectations of my paid subscribers. Given the significant operational issues we’ve experienced, and since I have lost confidence in the reliability of the Substack system, I have decided to explore alternative platforms.
While this possible transition takes place, I have paused all new subscription payments. To ensure my commitment to you is honored, I will be providing one full year of continued access to all three premium publications—Playbook, Portfolio, and INSTAT—for every current paid subscriber, regardless of which single publication you originally paid for.
My priority is to make this transition seamless for you, my most valued supporters. I will keep you informed as I evaluate the best path forward to a more reliable platform or during the time it takes, if possible, for us to become satisfied with Substack.
For all other readers, all four publications will be available free of charge during this evaluation period.
Thank you for your understanding, trust, and continued support.
I will be publishing today’s INSTAT A (Asia and Europe) at noon.
Sincerely,
/Bill
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P.S. For those who are unaware of the challenges many of us have been facing, I need to share what has been unfolding behind the scenes and is now affecting our experience.
My journey on Substack began with encouragement and promise. I decided to move forward on the recommendation of an associate who has had success with Substack. After six months of diligently backing up my Substack work on a personal server, one that I have used for over 20 years in publishing billcara.com, I canceled that service to rely fully on this platform. That’s when problems emerged.
I began receiving spam “Likes” on old posts from apparent bots—accounts not on my subscriber list. Despite reporting this to Substack, the only solution offered was to manually block each one, which would undermine the very subscriber engagement I joined the platform for.
To adapt, I decided to reorganize: keeping billcara.com free (as it was for 20+ years) and creating separate, paid publications for premium content like the INSTAT, Playbook and Portfolio. Substack’s system, however, only allowed one premium publication per domain. I moved forward with a new plan: three separate paid publications, with billcara.com remaining free and comment-free to curb spam.
Then, more serious issues arose. Paid subscribers started sending me screenshots confirming their payments, along with notices—some seemingly fraudulent—that their service had been terminated. When I investigated, I found that many of these subscriptions were not recorded in my Substack dashboard or in Stripe.
I have no direct control over Stripe or Substack’s internal systems. My attempts to resolve this have been met with automated, AI-driven responses—until last night as the Super Bowl was starting, when I finally received an email from a supposed human at Substack named “Mac.” I then spent the entire evening reviewing over 1,200 emails to document the discrepancies.
The financial amount isn’t the core issue—funds of subscribers for recorded payments are being held at Stripe—but the missing payments and breakdown in service and communication is unacceptable. It has caused significant frustration and embarrassment, both for me and for affected subscribers.
After ten and a half hours without follow-up from “Mac”, and following earlier unacknowledged emails even to Substack’s CEO, I’ve reached my limit. I will not continue to troubleshoot errors that I did not create.
My stance was clearly stated to Substack last evening: If Substack does not provide a full report and work collaboratively with me to resolve this immediately, I will have no choice but to leave the platform and transition to a reliable alternative.
I am deeply sorry for the disruption this has caused you, especially to those who have paid for a service they did not fully receive. I am committed to making this right—whether through Substack or elsewhere.
Decisions. Decisions.
I now have a decision to make. This morning an AI service replied to my question: “Is there an alternative service for independent publishers that is comparable to Substack?”
The answer:
Yes, there are several excellent alternatives to Substack for independent publishers and writers. The best choice depends on your specific needs (e.g., monetization model, design control, audience, and content type).
Here’s a breakdown of notable alternatives, categorized by their primary focus:
1. All-in-One Newsletter & Blog Platforms (Most Similar to Substack)
These platforms combine blogging, email newsletters, and monetization (typically via subscriptions).
Beehiiv: The fastest-growing competitor. It offers superior analytics (like open-rate predictions), advanced segmentation, a built-in ad network for free-tier monetization, and better design customization. Great for growth-focused creators.
Ghost: A powerful, open-source platform that is fully self-hostable (for maximum control) or offered as a managed service. It’s a non-profit focused on publishing, with a clean interface, native memberships, and email newsletters. You keep 100% of your revenue (just pay the platform fee).
Buttondown: A simpler, minimalist option focused on writers. It excels in simplicity, a great writing experience, and strong privacy features. It has flexible monetization but fewer built-in growth tools.
ConvertKit: Originally an email marketing platform for creators, it has robust newsletter and monetization features (Memberships, Commerce). Ideal for those who want deep audience segmentation and automation alongside their newsletter.
2. Member-Driven Community Platforms
These focus on building a community around your content, often with spaces for discussion.
Patreon: The leader in membership for creators. Less focused on pure newsletter delivery and more on offering exclusive content (posts, videos, audio) and community access (discords, forums) to paying members.
Podia and Kajabi: “Digital storefront” platforms that let you sell memberships, courses, digital downloads, and webinars alongside your content. Better if you have multiple products beyond a newsletter.
Mighty Networks and Circle.so: Centered on building a branded community space with memberships, courses, and events. Newsletter functionality is often part of a larger community experience.
3. Traditional Email Marketing Platforms
These offer maximum flexibility and power for email but require more setup for monetization.
Beehiiv (also fits here for its powerful email engine)
ConvertKit (also fits here)
MailerLite: Offers a free tier and recently added a “Newsletter” monetization feature, making it a budget-friendly alternative.
Revue (owned by Twitter): A straightforward newsletter platform integrated with Twitter (X), but its future has been uncertain since the acquisition.
4. Blog-First & Niche Platforms
Medium: A built-in audience of readers, with a Partner Program to earn money based on member reading time. You sacrifice some brand control and direct audience ownership compared to Substack.
TinyLetter: A very simple, free newsletter service by Mailchimp for personal, small-audience newsletters. No direct monetization features.
How to Choose? Consider these key factors:
Revenue Model & Fees: Do you want subscriptions, one-time payments, ads, or selling products? Compare what platforms take (Substack takes 10%). Ghost has a flat fee, while Patreon/Kajabi have tiered plans.
Ownership & Control: How important is owning your audience list and having a customizable website? Self-hosted Ghost gives the most control. Platforms like Beehiiv offer a good balance.
Audience & Growth Tools: Do you need advanced analytics, segmentation, or referral systems? Beehiiv is strongest here.
Content & Community Focus: Is your core a newsletter, a community forum, or a library of courses? This will point you to newsletter-first vs. community-first platforms.
Simplicity vs. Power: Buttondown or TinyLetter for pure, simple writing; Ghost or Kajabi for more features and control.
Quick Recommendations:
For growth-focused newsletter writers: Beehiiv
For maximum ownership and a pure writing experience: Ghost
For building a paid community with multiple content types: Patreon or Mighty Networks
For selling courses and digital products alongside a newsletter: Podia or Kajabi
For simplicity and a writer-first approach: Buttondown
It’s worth exploring a few that match your needs, as most offer free trials or free tiers to test the interface and features.
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The next question:
“Do all these services use Stripe for the payments system?”
That’s an excellent and important question, as the payment processor is a key factor for your revenue and where you can operate. The short answer is no, not all of them use Stripe exclusively, but it is the dominant player.
Here’s a more detailed breakdown of the payment systems used by the major alternatives:
Primarily Use Stripe:
These platforms are integrated with Stripe as their primary or sole payment processor. This means your ability to receive payments is subject to Stripe’s availability and terms in your country/region.
Substack (for context)
Beehiiv
Buttondown
ConvertKit (for its “Memberships” and “Commerce” features)
Patreon
Podia
Implication: You need to check if Stripe supports your country for both payouts and, crucially, allowing you as a creator to have a connected account. Some regions are only available for payouts but not for creating new connected accounts.
Platforms with Their Own Payment Systems or Multiple Options:
These offer more flexibility or control over payments.
Ghost:
Self-hosted Ghost: You can connect Stripe directly, OR use any other payment gateway via custom integrations or third-party plugins. This is its biggest advantage for payment flexibility.
Ghost(Pro) (their managed service): Uses Stripe by default.
Kajabi: Has its own integrated payment processing system, Kajabi Payments, which is powered by Stripe. It simplifies compliance but you are still within the Stripe ecosystem for payouts.
Memberful (an add-on for WordPress/WooCommerce sites): Uses Stripe for subscription management.
Medium (Partner Program): Uses its own proprietary payment system. You don’t connect a processor; Medium pays you directly based on member reading time.
Traditional Email Platforms (MailerLite, Mailchimp): When they offer monetization add-ons, they typically integrate with Stripe or PayPal.
Key Considerations Regarding Payment Systems:
Geographic Availability: This is the biggest issue. If Stripe isn’t available in your country, platforms that are “Stripe-only” are not an option for you. You must look for platforms that support alternatives like PayPal or direct bank transfers.
Platform Fees vs. Processor Fees: Remember you pay two sets of fees:
Platform Fee: The cut the platform takes (e.g., Substack’s 10%, Patreon’s 5-12%).
Payment Processing Fee: The cut Stripe (or another processor) takes per transaction (typically 2.9% + $0.30 in the US). These are always separate and added on top.
Payout Schedule & Minimums: Each processor/platform has its own rules (e.g., Stripe usually pays out on a 2-7 day rolling schedule). Check the specifics.
Ownership: Using a platform with its own payment system (like Medium) or one that lets you connect your own processor (self-hosted Ghost) can offer more stability, as you’re less susceptible to a single processor’s policy changes.
What to Do If Stripe Isn’t Available in Your Country?
You need to actively look for platforms that offer alternative payment gateways. Your best bets are:
Self-hosted Ghost: Connect a payment processor that works in your region (e.g., PayPal, local providers).
WordPress with Plugins: Using a combination of a newsletter plugin (like Newsletter Glue) and a membership plugin (like WooCommerce Memberships or Paid Memberships Pro) allows you to use almost any payment gateway available for WordPress.
Platforms with PayPal Support: Some newer or niche platforms might offer PayPal. Always check their help documentation or contact support directly to confirm.
Action Step: Before committing to any platform, always visit their Help or Pricing page and look for a section called “Payouts,” “Getting Paid,” or “Supported Countries.” This will list the payment processors they use and the countries they support.
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Every decision deserves thoughtful consideration. My sole obligation as a publisher is to meet or exceed the expectations of paid subscribers. Since I have lost confidence in the Substack system, I will be exploring the alternatives. In the meantime, I have paused all payments, but will be publishing all four publications free.