The Best Zephr Alternatives for Publishers in 2026
Zephr is in maintenance mode at Zuora. Founders gone, no new investment. Here’s what publishers on the platform need to know about switching paywalls now.
Category: zeen101 issues
Email List Cleaning for Publishers: The False Economy of Cutting Costs
Two publishers tried to fix their email costs this month. One deleted 30,000 contacts. The other cut daily to weekly. Both lost more in paid subscriptions than they saved on email. Here’s how to clean your list without killing your conversion engine.
Turn Cancellations Into Saves: New Retention Tools in Leaky Paywall
Churn is the silent killer of subscription revenue. Our new tools give you the power to survey canceling readers and offer them a reason to stay.
What Newsletter Creators Know That Publishers Don’t (But Should)
Dylan Redekop shares how publishers can adopt a creator mindset, leveraging newsletters as products, boosting reply rates, and using cross-promotion to build a full-time business.
Leaky Paywall 5.0 Is Here: What’s New and Why It Matters
Leaky Paywall 5.0 covers every stage of the Publisher Flywheel — from email capture to subscriber management — inside a single WordPress-native platform.
How The Moss Report Uses a Free Content Bundle and Email Drip to Convert More Subscribers
Ben Moss of The Moss Report lifted free registrations 20-30% with a curated content bundle and uses an 18-email drip campaign to convert free subscribers to paid. Here’s how the system works.
How a Niche Publisher Built a 62,000-Person Email List With a Registration Wall
A niche digital publication grew their email list to 62,754 registered readers, more than double comparable publishers, with one registration wall built around a single word.
The $351M Vote of Confidence for Reader Revenue
Warren Buffett just invested $351M in the NYT. We unpack the metered paywall strategy behind this massive reversal and how to model it at your scale.
How a Daily Newsletter Cadence Doubled Paid Subscriber Conversions
One regional news publisher doubled their free-to-paid conversion rate without changing their content or pricing. Here’s the three-part system behind it.
The Hidden Cost of the Discount Trap
A publisher’s Valentine’s Day promotion converted 80 subscribers but lost 379. Here’s what went wrong and the 4-part fix.
Substack Alternatives and Who Each One Is Built For
Not every Substack alternative fits every creator. Compare Ghost, Beehiiv, Kit, Buttondown, and Leaky Paywall by who they actually serve best.
Case Study: How First Things Achieved 94% Faster Load Times for Logged-In Subscribers
Most hosts disable caching for logged-in users, causing subscription sites to crawl or crash during traffic spikes. Learn how BigScoots solved this specific bottleneck for First Things, delivering a 94% performance boost and a seamless experience for paid readers
Are subscriptions actually worth the customer service hassle?
Terrified that launching a paywall will turn your newsroom into a call center? We explain why the “customer service hassle” is optional and how modern tech like Stripe and passwordless logins can automate the friction away.
What Is a Paywall? The 4 Main Types Explained
A paywall gates online content behind a payment requirement. Here’s how hard, metered, freemium, and hybrid paywalls actually work.
Why Publishers Must Automate Now
Discover how automating your newsletter strategy fixes broken conversion funnels, eliminates subscriber friction, and turns your list into a predictable stream of paid subscriptions.
How to Nurture Engaged Readers into Higher Subscription Tiers
Learn to simplify your subscription offerings, guide readers seamlessly from free registration to stable annual subscriber, and use effortless upgrade paths to unlock thousands in new monthly revenue.
The 3-Step Plan to Grow Your Email List 20% Faster
This article breaks down a proven 3-step framework designed to grow your email list 20% faster and turn those new sign-ups into loyal, paying subscribers.
How magazine publishers are thriving in today’s digital landscape
Is your publishing business still stuck in the past? Learn how to stop relying on old ad models and build a profitable, sustainable business by treating your content as a premium digital product.
Protecting Content from AI Circumvention with Smart Paywalls
Bots are grabbing your best work. What if the fix also grows your list and subs? Learn the simple paywall plan inside.
How to Monetize Your Newspaper E-Edition: A Registration-First Strategy
From “flip book only” to whole‑site funnel: free registration, steady newsletters, and on‑site checkout with automatic renewals turned this local site into a reliable engine for traffic and subscriber revenue.
Case Study: Similar Paywall Setups, Two Very Different Outcomes
Two WordPress publishers run the same paywall stack but get very different results. This case study breaks down the tweaks behind each win and the flywheel that blends them.
Cloudflare’s Pay-Per-Crawl: Sustainable Income or Just Spare Change?
Cloudflare’s Pay-Per-Crawl sounds great, but bot pennies won’t match real revenue. Email capture, solid newsletters, and fair subscriptions still win. Here’s the playbook.
Surviving Google’s AI Overviews: A Simple Playbook for WordPress Publishers
Google’s AI snippets are stealing easy clicks. Learn how first-party data and a flexi-meter can turn fewer visits into more loyal subscribers.
The Truth About Paywall Evasion, AI, Google, and Passwords
Worried about AI scrapers, “remove-paywall” hacks, or shared logins? Learn which threats really hurt—and the simple tweaks that protect revenue without killing reach.
Subscriber Retention Playbook For WordPress Publishers
Keep more of the readers you’ve already won. Discover WordPress-friendly strategies that lift subscriber retention and protect recurring revenue.
The Publisher Flywheel: Turn Readers Into Revenue
Build email, boost traffic, turn readers into revenue—spin up your Flywheel Framework today.
Why Clear Copy Converts Faster
Confused visitors rarely hit “Subscribe.” Use plain language to build instant trust and watch sign-ups rise on autopilot. Clear copy converts faster.
One Paywall Tweak for 20% Faster Email Growth: The Olive Press Case Study
Stop losing readers to vague pop-ups. Learn how one simple word change sent registrations back from a nosedive to record highs.
Publisher Strategies to Combat Ad Blockers and Boost Revenue
Ads getting blocked? Turn that dead end into a doorway. Invite visitors to sign up free, grow your email list, and convert high-engagement readers into subscribers.
Is Your Website Hurting Your Revenue?
From annoying ad blocker walls to overcomplicated forms, small website friction points can drive readers away. Here’s how to fix them and turn more visitors into loyal subscribers.
From Donations to Subscribers: How a Non-profit News Publisher Turned a Paywall Into a Growth Engine
When donations weren’t enough, the Key Biscayne Independent found a smarter path. By layering free registration with email capture and a light paywall, they turned casual readers into loyal subscribers and unlocked steady revenue in the process.
Magazine Strategies That Put Publishers Back in Control
Discover proven magazine strategies that help publishers take control of their digital future. From integrating tech tools in WordPress to building powerful email lists and choosing the right paywall model, this guide walks you through how to streamline operations, boost engagement, and unlock sustainable revenue.
Moving Past the Fear of Paywalls: Lessons from Four Publishers
Launching a paywall for the first time can feel intimidating. This blog walks through how four publishers—each starting from a different place—faced the fear, took the leap, and found what works.
How One Publisher Turned a Quiet Calendar Launch into a Traffic and Engagement Engine
Salem Reporter added a local events calendar with no promo—and it quickly started driving traffic, surfacing community events, and saving their team time.
Subscription Sticker Shock: Should you raise your prices?
Planning to raise prices? Here’s how to communicate it clearly and keep your subscribers on board.
Boosting Conversions and Enhancing Subscriptions: A Review of Bass Magazine’s Subscription Setup
Pete and Tyler from Leaky Paywall and the Paywall Project reviewed the Relevant Magazine website independently, coming up with three things that could help build paid subscriptions.
5 Strategies for Publishers to Boost Revenue in 2023
Publishers need to diversify revenue streams for long term success. But how?
An interview with Eric Shanfelt on subscription strategies
Eric and Pete dive deep into free registrations and paid subscription strategies. Make sure you check out Eric’s High Value Publishing podcast (where this interview is also published).
How to price your publication’s digital subscription to boost revenue
Get the rundown on boosting your revenue with the simple pricing of yours publication’s digital subscription, in this five minute video.
Improve your conversions with our Subscription Optimizer
Paywall Optimizer is a visual walkthrough of your subscription funnel, identifying issues and offering easy tactics for improvement.
How to build a modern subscription site with only small tech
Wilderness Living has built a slick, modern website with a strong, consistent user experience using no Big Tech providers.
January 2022 Monthly Update: Start the new year with an improved reader experience
This month, we go in depth on creating a user experience that converts casual readers to paid subscriptions, along with a few other tips.
How to convert free registered readers into paying subscribers
Our formula for revving up your paid subscriptions and, with them, your revenue.
December 2021 Monthly Update: Gift yourself some paid subscriptions for the holidays
This month we have a deep dive how your email newsletter can grow paid subscriptions, along with tips and tools for your reader experience.
How your email newsletter drives paid subscription revenue
Covering the importance of your email newsletter.
How publishers can convert casual website visitors into paying subscribers with a free registration
A framework for how publishers can grow subscriptions: from email registrations and free levels to increased traffic and paying subscribers. (Video and transcript)
November 2021 Monthly Updates: No muss, no fuss as you head into the holidays
This month we have news on Leaky Paywall security updates, a way to fine-tune your meter, and successful examples from our publishers.
Growing paid subscriptions with a compelling subscription page
The Texan has created an example of the perfect subscription page, with great cards, good benefits, and a compelling layou
How to publish your e-editions alongside real-time news
IssueM can help local, real-time news publishers create quick-loading e-editions without cluttering their workflow.
October 2021 Monthly Updates: Tips and tools for tying up loose ends.
Tips on subscriber behavior, fine-tuning your site, and integrations for partners you trust: get squared away before the holidays!