Substack reaches 5 million paid subscribers

The independent online publishing platform Substack this week surpassed five million paid subscribers, the company said in a statement.

The threshold comes after the platform reported four million paid subscribers in November, and three million last February. 

The platform primarily fuels independent reporters, bloggers and video content creators, who largely charge subscribers for their content, according to The Hill.

“It is a milestone that can be enjoyed in purely transactional terms: these are real people rewarding the work of writers and creators with real money, allowing them to achieve and maintain their independence,” Sophia Efthimiatou, head of Substack's writer relations, said in a blog post. “But to consider this purely as a financial achievement would be myopic. What we want is to create a wealth of culture.”

The milestone also comes as major players in media and politics leave traditional outlets for the platform, including Paul Krugman, CNN's Jim Acosta, and political strategist Steve Schmidt.

Misty Severi is a news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.