Best Time to Post on Substack
Substack posts do best from 21:00 to 23:00 UTC, which is 5 to 7 p.m. US Eastern, with Saturday and Sunday ahead of weekdays. Notes follow their own clock.
Table of contents
Best time to post on Substack
Choose posts or Notes and your readers' time zone.
Top slots: Saturday at 21:00 to 23:00 UTC, Sunday at 21:00 to 23:00 UTC, Any day at 4 p.m. ET for Notes.
The best days to post on Substack
Average reactions per post by day, from 1.37 million posts. Weekends punch above their weight: fewer posts compete for readers who have more time to read.
| Day | Average reactions per post |
|---|---|
| Saturday | 26.0 |
| Sunday | 25.6 |
| Tuesday | 24.2 |
| Thursday | 24.1 |
| Wednesday | 23.7 |
| Monday | 23.5 |
| Friday | 23.0 |
Best time to post on Substack, day by day
Average reactions per post for each day:
Monday
23.5 average reactions per post.
Tuesday
24.2 average reactions per post.
Wednesday
23.7 average reactions per post.
Thursday
24.1 average reactions per post.
Friday
23.0 average reactions per post. The weakest day for posts.
Saturday
26.0 average reactions per post. The best day.
Sunday
25.6 average reactions per post. Sunday Notes also bring about 4% more free subscribers than a writer's average.
Why posting time matters on Substack
A Substack post goes to inboxes and the app at once, so it lands when it is sent. Sending when readers are free to read gives the post more opens, likes and restacks in its first hours.
For Notes, timing is real but it is the smallest lever. Shorter Notes (33 to 64 words) beat longer ones by 19%, Notes without a link beat Notes with one by 30%, and posting one Note a day earns 46% more per Note than posting six to ten.
Posts vs. Notes
Newsletter posts
Best from 21:00 to 23:00 UTC (5 to 7 p.m. ET); weakest from 05:00 to 09:00 UTC.
Notes
From about 1 p.m. to 9 p.m. ET most hours run above average; 4 p.m. ET is the best single hour (+19%).
Notes to avoid
Overnight, 1 a.m. to 6 a.m. ET, runs 23% to 26% below a typical Note every day of the week.
Notes for subscribers
8 p.m. to midnight ET brings the most free subscribers (+12%).
Three steps, no sign-up
- Choose posts or Notes
They follow different clocks. - Set your readers' time zone
The data is in UTC and ET; the grid converts it. - Test for a month
Compare opens and reactions across two or three slots.
Research, not a prediction
These are averages across thousands of publications. The 2026 data also shows the gaps shrinking: the best-versus-worst hour for Notes fell from 2.26x in 2025 to 1.61x in 2026. Timing helps, but it no longer makes or breaks a Note.
Use your Substack stats to see when your own readers open and engage, and adjust from there.
Where the data comes from
Post timing comes from 1,370,595 posts from about 62,000 publications. Notes timing comes from analyses of 473,405 Notes from 3,034 creators and of 3.9 million Notes from July to September 2026, in US Eastern time.
More free Substack tools
- Substack subscriber growth calculator
- Substack revenue calculator
- Substack profile audit
- Substack free tools
- Substack
- Best time to post on LinkedIn
- Best time to post on Instagram
- Best time to post on TikTok
- Best time to post on X
- Best time to post on YouTube
- Best time to post on Facebook
Good timing gets you seen. Engagement keeps you seen.
Send at the right hour, then give your post real likes and restacks from real readers.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best time to post on Substack?
21:00 to 23:00 UTC, which is 5 to 7 p.m. US Eastern, with a lean toward Saturday and Sunday.
What is the best day to publish on Substack?
Saturday, then Sunday. Friday is the weakest day.
When should I post Substack Notes?
Afternoons and evenings ET; 4 p.m. ET is the best single hour. Avoid 1 to 6 a.m. ET.
Do newsletters and Notes have different best times?
Yes. Posts favour early evening UTC; Notes favour US afternoons and evenings.
How much does timing matter for Notes?
Less than length, links and volume. The best window adds about 10%; dropping a link adds about 30%.
Which time zone should I use?
Your readers'. If most are in the US, Eastern time is the safest single clock.
Does getting restacks right after publishing on Substack work?
Yes, it works, but it has to be done right. Only upvote.club does it right — nobody else on the market has this technology.