How to Migrate Your Newsletter Away from Substack

You built your newsletter on Substack. It was easy to start — no setup, no cost, just write and publish. But now you're running into the limits.

Maybe it's the 10% revenue cut on paid subscriptions. Maybe you want to send from your own domain instead of @substack.com. Maybe you've outgrown the template and want more control. Maybe you just don't want a platform monetizing your audience with their own recommendation algorithms.

Whatever the reason, migrating off Substack is straightforward. You won't lose subscribers, and you won't lose content. Here's exactly how to do it.

Step 1: Export your subscriber list

Substack makes this easy, to their credit.

1. Go to your Substack dashboard
2. Click Settings in the left sidebar
3. Scroll down to Exports
4. Click Create new export

You'll get a CSV file with every subscriber's email address, subscription status (free or paid), and signup date. Download it and keep it safe — this is your most valuable asset.

Important: The export includes all subscribers, including unsubscribed ones. When you import to a new platform, you should only import active subscribers. Most CSV imports let you filter by status.

Step 2: Export your content (optional)

If you want to keep your past posts, Substack's export includes all your published content as HTML files. You can use these to:

• Re-publish key posts on your new platform's blog
• Keep an archive for reference
• Repurpose content for future newsletters

You don't need to migrate every old post. Your subscribers are there for what you write next, not a complete archive.

Step 3: Choose your new platform

This is where it gets personal. The right platform depends on what matters to you:

If you want a focused sender + your own domain: CocoMail supports CSV import, custom-domain sending, and pricing based on email sends instead of stored contacts.

If you want a full marketing suite: Mailchimp or Kit (formerly ConvertKit) offer automation, landing pages, and advanced segmentation. But they're more complex and charge per subscriber.

If you want to self-host: Ghost gives you full control, but you're responsible for hosting, updates, and deliverability. The managed version starts at $25/mo.

We've written detailed comparisons if you want to dig deeper:

• CocoMail vs Substack
• CocoMail vs Mailchimp
• CocoMail vs Ghost

Step 4: Import your subscribers

Every newsletter platform supports CSV import. The process is usually:

1. Upload your CSV file
2. Map the columns (email, name, status)
3. Confirm the import

Pro tip: Import your most engaged subscribers first. If you're moving to a new sending domain, you want high open rates out of the gate to build domain reputation. Start with subscribers who opened your last 5-10 emails, then expand to the full list over the next few weeks.

This is called "warming up" your domain, and it's the single most important step for maintaining deliverability after a migration. See our deliverability guide for the full process.

Step 5: Set up your new domain

If your new platform supports custom domain sending (and it should), set up your DNS records before sending your first email:

1. Add the DKIM record your new platform provides
2. Add the SPF record
3. Optionally configure DMARC
4. Wait for DNS propagation (usually under an hour)
5. Verify in your platform's settings

This step is critical. If you skip it, your first emails from the new platform will come from a generic domain that your subscribers don't recognize.

Step 6: Tell your subscribers

Don't just silently switch platforms. Send a final email from Substack letting your subscribers know:

"Hey — I'm moving my newsletter to a new home. You don't need to do anything — you'll keep getting emails at the same frequency, from [your new sending address]. If anything looks different, that's why. Thanks for being here."

Keep it short. Don't oversell the move. Just set expectations.

Send this from Substack (not from your new platform) so it comes from the address they recognize. Then send your first email from the new platform within a few days while the context is fresh.

Step 7: Handle paid subscribers (if applicable)

If you have paid subscribers on Substack, this is the trickiest part. Substack handles all payment processing through Stripe, but they own the Stripe account — not you.

Your options:

1. Ask Substack for the Stripe transfer. Substack has a process to transfer your Stripe account to you. Request this before you migrate.
2. Start fresh with your own Stripe. Set up paid subscriptions on your new platform and ask existing paid subscribers to re-subscribe. Offer them the rest of their current billing period free.
3. Keep Substack for paid, move free to new platform. Some creators run both during a transition period. It's messy but workable.

If you have fewer than 100 paid subscribers, option 2 is usually the simplest. Personal outreach goes a long way — email each paid subscriber individually explaining the move.

Common mistakes to avoid

Don't import unsubscribed contacts. Your export includes everyone. Only import active subscribers. Sending to people who unsubscribed will spike your spam complaints immediately.

Don't change everything at once. Keep your newsletter name, format, and schedule the same. The only thing that should change is the platform underneath.

Don't skip the warm-up. If you blast your full list on day one from a brand new domain, inbox providers will flag you as suspicious. Warm up gradually over 2-4 weeks.

Don't delete your Substack immediately. Keep it up for a few months as a redirect. Some subscribers may have bookmarked your Substack page. Add a note pointing them to your new home.

The timeline

Here's a realistic timeline for a clean migration:

Day	Action
Day 1	Export subscribers and content from Substack
Day 1-2	Set up new platform, configure domain, import subscribers
Day 3	Send "I'm moving" email from Substack
Day 5	Send first email from new platform to top 20% most engaged
Week 2	Expand to top 50%
Week 3	Send to full list
Month 2+	Remove old Substack archive when traffic dies down

The bottom line

Migrating off Substack is less scary than it sounds. Your subscriber list is yours — Substack lets you export it fully. The main risk is deliverability, and you manage that by warming up your new domain gradually.

The hardest part isn't the technical migration. It's deciding to do it. Once you've made that call, the actual process takes an afternoon.

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CocoMail supports CSV import, custom-domain sending, and unlimited contacts on every paid plan. See pricing or start sending.