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Fact check: Is The Free Press the most successful substack
Executive summary
The available reporting shows The Free Press is a prominent and fast-growing Substack presence, backed by influential programming and ambitious revenue targets, but no single article provides direct, comparable metrics to prove it is the "most successful Substack." Press profiles from mid-to-late September 2025 emphasize investigative strength, marquee contributors, and platform-wide traffic gains for Substack, yet none publish subscriber totals, verified revenue comparisons, or independent rankings needed to substantiate an absolute "most successful" claim [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7].
1. How big is the boast? A claim of being “most successful” needs hard numbers
The central claim — that The Free Press is the most successful Substack — requires measurable benchmarks: paid subscribers, unique visitors, revenue, engagement metrics, or awards. Reporting from September 16–28, 2025 highlights strong content and growth but does not supply those comparative metrics. Profiles note influential shows and investigative pieces and cite platform-level growth for Substack (49% year-on-year traffic increase), yet none present The Free Press’s subscriber or revenue figures in a way that allows ranking against other Substacks [6] [7] [1] [2].
2. Evidence of influence: programming, contributors, and investigative reporting
Multiple pieces document The Free Press’s editorial heft: long-form investigations like the Free Birth Society story, coverage of political and social flashpoints, and the recruitment of recognized writers such as Mike Pesca. These accounts portray a publication with serious journalistic ambitions and production quality, factors that plausibly drive success on Substack’s platform. The articles emphasize depth and versatility in reporting rather than performance metrics like subscriber counts or platform rank [2] [4] [5] [3].
3. High-profile audio and revenue signals — real growth, but not definitive proof
Profiles single out a talk show hosted by The Free Press, TBPN, as influential in Silicon Valley with high-profile guests and an expectation of roughly $5 million in revenue for the year. That figure, if accurate, is a meaningful business indicator and suggests substantial commercial traction. However, this revenue projection alone does not establish that The Free Press is the top Substack, because it is not accompanied by comparative revenue or subscriber figures for other top Substacks [1].
4. Platform context: Substack’s own momentum boosts every successful title
Independent reporting notes Substack as the only top-50 English-language news site to register 49% year-on-year traffic growth in August 2025, a macro trend that benefits high-performing publications hosted there. That platform-level growth provides context: success stories emerging from Substack are more likely in this growth phase. Still, the platform tailwind means The Free Press’s performance might partly reflect broader Substack dynamics rather than unique dominance [6] [7].
5. Missing comparisons and the problem of biased narratives
All available coverage treats The Free Press as a rising star and emphasizes qualitative strengths; however, none present head‑to‑head comparisons with other major Substacks, nor do they publish independent audit data. The articles’ tones vary between celebratory profiles and investigative reporting, which can create selection bias: pieces focused on editorial achievements naturally emphasize quality without benchmarking commercial rankings. This pattern makes it impossible to confirm a claim of being the single most successful Substack from the published material [1] [4] [2].
6. Reconciling indicators: strong signals, insufficient proof
When combining the documented elements — investigative scoops, marquee contributors, influential audio programming, and Substack’s traffic surge — there is compelling evidence of notable success. Yet the absence of standardized metrics in these reports leaves the superlative “most successful” unsupported by verifiable comparative data. The most honest reading is that The Free Press is among prominent Substacks with significant momentum as of September 2025, but not demonstrably the top-ranked outlet [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7].
7. What would confirm or refute the claim? A checklist of missing evidence
To validate the “most successful” assertion, reporting would need transparent, dated figures: audited paid-subscriber counts, verified annual revenue compared across top Substacks, unique monthly visitor metrics, or independent rankings published after September 2025. None of the sources provide those items. Until such comparative data appear, the responsible conclusion is that The Free Press is clearly influential and growing but not provably the most successful Substack based on the current reportage [6] [7] [1] [2] [4].