Substack for Food Bloggers: The Surprising Truth (Data from 2,064 Sites)

How many food bloggers are using Substack?

I wanted to know too, so I ran scripts across 2,064 food blogs that run Raptive ads in August 2025. Out of all those sites, just 69 (3.3%) link to a Substack from their website. Of those, only 13 also promote a separate mailing list.

That tiny share tells us something important: Substack might be trendy, but adoption among established food blogs is still niche.

At the same time, I’ve had clients asking about Substack, I’ve been listening to podcasts on it, and I’ve been tracking how food bloggers are experimenting with it. So let’s take a closer look at what Substack offers, how it compares with WordPress, and what the data shows about how food bloggers are actually using it.

The appeal

Substack has a strong pull. Many people say it feels like the early days of blogging because it feels simple, direct, and personal. You write something, press publish, and it lands in your readers’ inboxes. There’s a warmth to it, almost like sending an update to a friend. I’ve seen that with our client Female Foodie, who shares her Substack through Instagram. It feels different from most email newsletters that food bloggers send (but of course, it could be sent from any mailing list provider).

• It’s easy to use, with few barriers to starting.
• You can write freely and share your whole story.
• It has built-in features for community and curation.
• There’s a discovery system inside Substack that can help readers find you.

Several of our clients are already using Substack successfully:

• ​David Lebovitz — ranked #7 in Substack’s food category, with hundreds of thousands of subscribers.
• ​Brooke Eliason (Female Foodie) — ranked #65.
• ​Rachel Mansfield — ranked #82.
• ​Stella Drivas (Hungry Happens) — more than 1,200 subscribers.

Each has taken their own approach, but the common thread is consistent, thoughtful writing and a personal connection with their audience.

Substack limitations

Substack isn’t without trade-offs. You don’t own the platform, so you’re subject to their rules. You’re limited in design and features. Their subscription form is not very customizable. They take a 10% revenue share, on top of Stripe’s 2.9% + 30c per transaction. Their analytics are basic compared with tools like ConvertKit or Mailchimp. Monetization is mostly subscriptions. There’s no support for ads or affiliates. Platforms can rise and fall. This doesn’t mean Substack is a bad idea, but it isn’t the whole picture.

How WordPress fits In

Everything people like about Substack — simplicity, newsletters, paid subscriptions, a sense of community — can be built directly on your WordPress site. And when you do, you keep full ownership and flexibility.

At cre8d, we’ve helped food bloggers:

• Launch memberships with free and paid tiers.
• Offer ad-free recipe subscriptions.
• Send newsletters directly from their site.
• Sell digital products and classes alongside their content.

Unlike Substack, WordPress lets you combine all of these income streams under one roof, with no 10% platform fee.

What food bloggers are doing

When I looked closer at the 69 blogs linking to a Substack, the vast majority have gone all-in, moving their newsletter subscribers to Substack. This means no more email series, automations, or automated posts showing your latest recipes.

For those 13 sites that still have a separate newsletter as well as their Substack, this is how they’re integrating the two competing subscription offers:

10 of the 13 sites keep their newsletter as their primary call-to-action:

• Substack as a social icon: chelseasmessyapron.com, hungryhealthyhappy.com, leitesculinaria.com, ournourishingtable.com, wholefully.com
• Substack as a main menu option (sometimes branded): littlehousebigalaska.com (“Mug-Up”), plantyou.com (“Meal Plans”), hungryhappens.net (“Community”), scheckeats.com
• Substack in footer only: piloncilloyvainilla.com

3 of the 13 sites have their newsletter and Substack competing as their primary call-to-action:

• Subscribe dropdown with multiple options: fresheggsdaily.blog
• Subscribe with both options as text: mikebakesnyc.com
• Substack listed under resources: thesweetsimplethings.com

What this means

If you’re thinking about launching a Substack alongside your newsletter, clarity matters. Two subscribe forms on your site can be confusing. Readers don’t want to wonder which list they should be on, and there’s no way to sign up for both in a single step.

For most food bloggers, the best approach is to decide which one is your anchor (the place where you want to build and keep your relationship with readers) and then decide if Substack is a complement or a distraction.

Building something solid

Substack can be a great creative outlet. But everything Substack does, you can build on WordPress… with more ownership, more flexibility, and without losing 10% of your subscription revenue.

We’ve helped food bloggers design sites that integrate newsletters, memberships, digital products, and ad-free subscriptions seamlessly, without splitting attention or confusing readers.

What lasts is thoughtful content, clear calls-to-action, and building on a foundation you control. And you can do that best on a platform you own.

If you’ve been wondering whether Substack is right for you — or if you’d like to explore building a subscription model directly into your site — book a call with us and let’s talk about the best approach for your blog.

Want more insights like this?

This research is a taste of what’s coming in Best Served Hot, my new weekly food blogging trend report. It’s packed with data you won’t find anywhere else. Sign up here to be the first to know when it launches.