What Is a Paid Newsletter?
A paid newsletter charges readers a recurring fee for premium content, typically through platforms like Substack, Beehiiv, or ConvertKit. Unlike ad-supported writing, it turns your audience directly into revenue. The key question every creator faces is simple: what should I charge, and how much will I make?
How the Pricing Calculator Works
Enter three inputs and the tool estimates your income:
- Paid subscribers — how many readers pay you.
- Price per subscriber — your monthly or yearly fee.
- Monthly churn — the percentage of subscribers who cancel each month.
It returns gross revenue per period, projected annual revenue, and an annual figure adjusted for churn.
Key Formulas
- Gross per period = Subscribers × Price
- Annual revenue = Monthly gross × 12 (or yearly price)
- After churn = Annual × (1 − Churn%)
Pricing Strategy Tips
| Goal | Approach |
|---|---|
| Maximize conversions | Start at $5-8/month, the common sweet spot |
| Reward commitment | Offer a yearly plan at ~10x monthly |
| Reduce churn | Bundle extras, community, or archives |
| Test willingness | Run occasional price experiments |
Most successful newsletters price between $5 and $15 per month. Lower prices convert more readers; higher prices earn more per subscriber but grow slower.
Why Churn Matters
A 5% monthly churn means you lose about half your subscribers every year. Even small churn reductions compound into large annual revenue gains, so retention work pays off as much as acquisition.
Use this free calculator to model pricing scenarios before you publish your paywall.