Substack Recommendations Growth Calculator
Estimate how many new subscribers you can gain through Substack's cross-promotion recommendations feature, factoring in recommendation partners, conversion rates, and net revenue after fees.
Substack Recommendations Growth Formula
Substack's Recommendations feature shows your publication to new subscribers of other writers who recommend you. Growth depends on how many writers recommend you, their subscriber bases, and the conversion rate of those recommendations into free and paid subscribers. Substack takes a 10% platform fee on paid subscription revenue, plus Stripe processing fees of approximately 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction.
Substack's recommendation conversion rates vary widely. A recommendation from a large, aligned publication can drive hundreds of new subscribers, while smaller publications may contribute 5-20 per month. Real-world free-to-paid conversion rates average around 3%, though niche publications with strong value propositions can reach 5-10%.
How to Use the Substack Recommendations Growth Calculator
Enter the number of writers recommending you
Check your Substack dashboard under the Recommendations tab to see how many publications currently recommend yours.
Set the average new subscribers per recommender
Enter the average number of new subscribers each recommending publication sends to you per month. Check your Recommendations analytics for this data.
Set your recommendation conversion rate
Enter the percentage of readers who see your recommendation and actually subscribe. Typical rates range from 10-30% depending on niche alignment.
Enter your free-to-paid conversion rate and subscription price
Input the percentage of free subscribers who upgrade to paid and your monthly subscription price. The average free-to-paid rate is about 3%.
Review your growth and revenue projections
See your estimated new free subscribers, paid subscribers, and net revenue after Substack's 10% fee and Stripe processing costs.
Real-World Scenario Example
"A writer is recommended by 8 other publications, each sending an average of 40 new subscriber impressions per month, with a 20% recommendation conversion rate, a 3% free-to-paid rate, and a $10/month subscription."
Inputs
Result
Monthly Recommendation Impressions: 320. New Free Subscribers: 64. New Paid Subscribers: 1.92. Gross Monthly Revenue: $19.20. Substack Fee: $1.92. Stripe Fee: $1.13. Net Monthly Revenue: $16.15.
Important Disclaimer
All figures are estimates for educational purposes only. Actual recommendation conversion rates, subscriber growth, and revenue vary by niche, publication size, content quality, and audience alignment. Substack's fee structure and recommendation features are subject to change.
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