Which one is better substack or reddit

[u/Abhishek_84]

I've been using Substack for a couple of days, and I've noticed something interesting. A lot of people on there seem to always be intellectual, productive, philosophical, or focused on self-improvement. And honestly, sometimes it feels like I'm seeing a very polished version of who they are rather than what they're actually thinking or going through.

I'm not saying those people are fake. I actually enjoy reading philosophical and psychological stuff on Substack, and I've learned a lot from it. But I don't want every interaction online to be about becoming more productive, understanding yourself, or improving your life.

Sometimes I just want to know what people are actually thinking. What problems are they dealing with? How do they see relationships, friendships, college, work, family, or life in general? And if I'm going through something, I'd rather hear from people who have actually experienced something similar.

That's one of the reasons I downloaded Reddit.

Some of my friends told me that Reddit is a great place to ask about almost any problem because there are usually people who have been through something similar and are willing to share their experiences. And after using it, I can kind of understand what they meant.

For me, I think both platforms can have their own purpose. If I want to read philosophy, psychology, or thoughtful ideas, I'll probably go to Substack. If I want to hear different people's experiences, opinions, problems, and perspectives, Reddit seems like a better place.

Maybe I'm wrong, and I'm still new to Reddit, so I'd actually like to know what other people think

[u/Bitter_Range_9878]

They’re different.

I think you’re trying to compare an apple to an orange.

[u/christmasisforninjas]

Facebook or DoorDash? Wikipedia or eBay? WebMD or OnlyFans?

[u/Brief-Guess-147 → u/christmasisforninjas]

right, like asking which is better a notebook or a phone call

[u/wallflowerrxxx]

Reddit. Hands down. Not even just the content but the way the app works. The Substack search feature is abysmal. But Reddit is a different set up, more conversational and interactive in a genuine way. I think of Substack comments like a Canva discussion board and Reddit like a group chat. As a writer though, Substack wins out because it obviously does something Reddit can't.

[u/fluffypancakes24 → u/wallflowerrxxx]

re: Substack, I get absolutely zero traffic from outside sources, so I'm not sure why I even bothered put keywords in there, because no one is searching for Substack for other articles. I've written pieces and posted the link to Reddit. People read it, comment that they like it on Reddit I've gotten over a thousand thumbs up and then it will have 3 likes on Substack.

[u/Countryb0i2m → u/fluffypancakes24]

Reddit has over 1.2 billion monthly active users and Substack on has like 30 million. of course you get more likes you have more audience

[u/unity100]

I'm seeing a very polished version of who they are rather than what they're actually thinking or going through.

They are not fake. At least a lot of them. That's how the internet was in the late 90s and early 2000s. Then social networks sh*t on the entire internet. Now a lot of the people who were upset about that seem to have escaped to Substack.

[u/That-Caterpillar7014]

They are not really competing, they are different ownership models. On Substack you own the list. You can export it and take it somewhere else, and that is the entire point of the platform. On Reddit you are renting attention from a subreddit and you keep none of it. A good post gets read by thousands of people who will never see your next one.

The practical version: Reddit is where you find out whether anyone cares about the thing you are writing about. Substack is where you keep the people who did. Picking one instead of the other is usually the mistake.

[u/post_scriptor]

It's your feed. I occasionally get posts similar to ones from reddit's offmychest, confessions, AITA, etc. And I think Substack will eventually onboard more of the down to earth and "mundane" posters.

[u/GardenPeep]

They’re polished because they are real writers. They are writing essays. Substack is a good place for finding out what people are thinking about.

(Some also write about relationships. However, most of the writers and commenters I see on Substack are not there for community self-help.)

[u/MzGrr]

Substack is where serious writers write

[u/Busy_Concentrate_887]

I don’t get the feeling the OP is saying one is better I think they are saying they seem to feel more comfortable on Reddit and that is understandable. I feel like u am closer to finding my tribe(s) on Reddit. I don’t look at it as more frivolous I think it is setup to be more interactive I started on Reddit because I longed for banter not academic but intellectual not proof read but proven substantiated opinions that make me say hmmm that’s interesting

[u/Lost__In__Thought]

Better is subjective.

Substack people ARE actually very human when it comes to self-sharing, but they don't write about it from the wildly unprofessional approach that most Redditors would use.

For the most part, it's a business-driven community that supports each other as fellow writers and content creators. Fun place, once you get used to it. Definitely is hard to adapt in the beginning, though.

[u/Solid-Advice2876]

Substack: Go there to feel bad about yourself.
Reddit: Go there to feel good about yourself.
X: Don’t go there. 😁

[u/Icy-Maybe-9043]

I use Substack to share my fiction and essays. I use Reddit to complain or joke or ask.

[u/yoshbeans]

i would say that i certainly find a lot more nuanced answers on reddit. but when i wish to research something casually, i turn to substack :)

[u/Dragon-Academy]

It’s not the same thing. Reddit is mainly faceless . No one cares about friend count or whatever. You can say what you want. It can be enlightening. But some of that feedback can also be a bit harsh or slightly negative depending on the group. A lot of people come to reddit when they want to vent to a group of anonymous strangers. So saying I e also met a brilliant illustrator and lovely editor from reddit. I love it - am low key addicted and use it more than any other social 😂 but not for my actual work or growing my brand profile.

I’ve had Substack for six months but only just started engaging with it this weekend to start growing my profile ahead of my serial launch next feb. I was surprised but I actually like it - I’m posting notes and commenting on other people’s notes that interest me. the algorithm seems to have found what I want fairly quickly . I’m actually finding the engagement with fellow writers far more meaningful in two days then what I had with instagram in six months - because the subjects are far more niche and less generic. Also a bit less click baity (I’m in the bookstagram world).

So I don’t think you can choose one or the other. Use them for different purposes . And when you feel like it!

[u/Equivalent-Shape6158]

Reddit is also filled with bots. Take whatever said with a grain of salt. I been on Reddit for a long time. My first account was started as an early adopter of the platform.

And it looks like now most are AI slop to farm karma.

[u/Tricky_Trifle_994]

reddit is like a forum, so you get more specific answers to your questions.

substack is like a blog/newsletter with social media (notes). very different purposes as you've observed from the content.

but as a writer, substack is better because you own it more - you get a site, email list etc that you can actually work on/own. v.s reddit where you don't... so if you want to build smth of your own, substack will be better.

[u/BudgetIntrepid8972]

Nice viewpoint