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Substack MCP Server Comparison

Detailed breakdown of every active Substack MCP server in 2026.

1. marcomoauro/substack-mcp

Repo: https://github.com/marcomoauro/substack-mcp Maintained: Yes Install: npx -y @marcomoauro/substack-mcp

What it does

The most complete Substack MCP server. Covers the full post management lifecycle:

  • Create, edit, and delete drafts
  • Publish posts (free and paid)
  • Manage post metadata (title, subtitle, cover image, section)
  • Schedule posts for future publication
  • List and retrieve existing posts

Authentication

Uses Substack's API token. More stable than cookie-based auth — tokens don't rotate as frequently as sessions.

Best for

Writers who want to use Claude for drafting and publishing Substack newsletters. The primary use case is: "Claude, write my newsletter draft about [topic] and save it to Substack."

Limitations

  • Focuses on newsletter posts, not Notes specifically
  • No cross-posting to other platforms
  • No analytics tools

Config

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "substack": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@marcomoauro/substack-mcp"],
      "env": {
        "SUBSTACK_API_KEY": "YOUR_API_KEY",
        "SUBSTACK_PUBLICATION_URL": "https://yourpublication.substack.com"
      }
    }
  }
}

2. arthurcolle/substack-mcp

Repo: https://github.com/arthurcolle/substack-mcp Maintained: Yes Focus: Claude Code integration

What it does

Built specifically for Claude Code workflows. Features include:

  • Create and manage drafts
  • Upload images to Substack CDN
  • Live blogging — real-time post updates as Claude writes
  • Interactive post construction

Authentication

Cookie/session-based. Requires periodic re-authentication when Substack rotates your session.

Best for

Developers using Claude Code who want to build newsletter automation into their coding workflow. Example: "As part of my project documentation workflow, save a summary as a Substack draft."

Limitations

  • Session auth breaks every 30–90 days
  • Requires manual re-auth when session expires
  • Not suited for long-running automated workflows without re-auth handling

3. michalnaka/mcp-substack

Repo: https://github.com/michalnaka/mcp-substack Maintained: Yes Focus: Reading and research

What it does

Designed for content analysis, not publishing:

  • Download and parse Substack posts from any publication
  • Search across newsletters
  • Feed content to Claude for analysis, summarization, or research

Authentication

Public RSS — no credentials required for public content. Authenticated access for your own private content.

Best for

Researchers, newsletter writers doing competitive analysis, or anyone who wants to ask Claude questions about existing Substack content. Example: "Download the last 20 issues of [newsletter] and identify the 5 most common themes."

Limitations

  • Read-only for public content
  • Not a publishing tool

4. postcli/substack (via @postcli)

Repo: https://github.com/postcli Maintained: Yes Focus: Notes and social interactions

What it does

Extends beyond basic publishing to social layer:

  • Post and manage Notes
  • Like, restack, and comment on Notes
  • Manage subscriber interactions
  • Social engagement automation

Authentication

Session cookie-based.

Best for

Writers who want Claude to manage their Notes feed and social interactions. Example: "Like back everyone who liked my last three Notes" or "Write and post a Note responding to this trend in the feed."

Limitations

  • Session auth fragility (same as arthurcolle)
  • Social automation features can risk account flagging if overused
  • No cross-posting to external platforms

Side-by-Side Feature Matrix

Feature marcomoauro arthurcolle michalnaka postcli
Create drafts ✅ ✅ ❌ ❌
Publish posts ✅ ✅ ❌ ❌
Manage Notes Limited ❌ ❌ ✅
Read/parse posts ✅ ✅ ✅ ✅
Social interactions ❌ ❌ ❌ ✅
Upload images ❌ ✅ ❌ ❌
Live blogging ❌ ✅ ❌ ❌
Auth type API token Session Public/session Session
Auth stability ⭐⭐⭐⭐ ⭐⭐ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ⭐⭐
Cross-posting ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌

Recommendation by Use Case

"I want Claude to write and publish my newsletters" → marcomoauro/substack-mcp — most stable API token auth, full post management

"I'm a developer using Claude Code and want Substack integrated into my workflow" → arthurcolle/substack-mcp — built for Claude Code, supports image uploads and live blogging

"I want to analyze my newsletter archive or a competitor's newsletter" → michalnaka/mcp-substack — read-only, no credentials needed for public content

"I want Claude to manage my Notes and social engagement" → postcli/substack — Notes + social layer, accept the session auth overhead

"I want all of the above plus cross-posting to LinkedIn and Medium without maintaining MCP configs" → Narrareach — production-grade distribution platform, no MCP maintenance required