The Most Popular Paid Subscription Newsletters

Paid newsletters are exploding.

Obviously, I’m biased… but It’s an attractive model. If you’re the scribe-y type and have the means to communicate your viewpoints clearly, I really don’t think there’s a better opportunity for you today. In contrast to starting a blog, you’ve got monetization on day one, and based on my experience, the audience tends to listen a little closer and be more dedicated than with typical free newsletters. I’d also like to point out that the monetization options for bloggers in 2019 (and beyond) are looking pretty anemic. CPM rates (cost per thousand impressions, which is how most bloggers get paid) are in the dumps and affiliate offers are subject to many new, and sometimes confusing legal guidelines. And that’s not even considering the SEO environment and the incredible level of saturation that blogging has.

Launching a paid subscription newsletter is an entirely different value proposition, and it’s where I intend to spend a good portion of my time and effort going forward.

Now that your gears are spinning, I think that taking a look at what’s out there is a great exercise for anyone looking to start one up.

I went ahead and compiled a list of the most popular paid newsletters I could find today. I’ve also included a link to the site, the pricing, and the estimated readership, wherever possible.

Please note that the numbers below do not represent paid members alone. The stats most of these newsletter websites offer do not differentiate between paid readership and free readership.

The Most Popular Paid Subscription Newsletters