The Top 144 ‘Covid Contrarian/Freedom’ Newsletters on Substack
This project required many days of research to complete, but I’m glad someone did it.
Note: Reader feedback is greatly appreciated. To me, this project is an excellent example of the utility of “crowd-sourcing.” I’ve added several newsletters since I originally published this list on January 10th and need to add at least 10 other newsletters with at least 2,500 total subscribers. In other words, this is still not the “definitive” list for this genre of Substack author.
Below I rank and list the top 144 Substack newsletters which meet my subjective labels of newsletters produced by “Covid Contrarian” and/or “Freedom” authors. Note: The ranking numbers are no longer completely accurate as when I’ve added new newsletters, the numbering doesn’t update.
From this “leaderboard,” readers can identify writers who’ve achieved a degree of prominence or influence by challenging authorized Covid narratives and/or who have become noteworthy critics of myriad Status-Quo narratives.
Key take-aways …
Covid Contrarian or “Freedom” writers comprise THE most prominent subset of authors on Substack, a writers platform of, perhaps, more than 18,000 authors* who reach more than 35 million readers or users.
Per my estimate, approximately 20 to 25 percent of Substack’s estimated 18,000* authors could be described as “Covid contrarians” or “freedom” writers. This would mean the total number of such authors might be approximately 4,500.
*Note: I just read a story today (3-5-25) that said Substack now has 50,000 “Publishers.”
Today’s “leaderboard” identifies the top 1 and 2 percent of this subset of authors.
Based on informed extrapolations, approximately 54 newsletter authors in this list generate a gross income of at least $50,000/year. (The average income of Americans is approximately $62,000).
Note: If the “paid” ratio of newsletter authors is at least 4 percent, writers with at least 25,000 total subscribers likely have at least 1,000 paid subscribers - a level that would allow them to gross at least $50,000/year from their Substack writing.
These extrapolations infer that more than 99 percent of “Contrarian” Substack authors are not using this platform to generate the primary source of income for their families.
Expressed differently, fewer than 1 percent of Substack’s “Covid Contrarian” or “Freedom” writers make an income that would approach or exceed the national average (or a common salary for a journalist employed by “corporate media.”)
The assumption is these authors are motivated by “making a difference” or “contributing to a conversation” they believe is important.
Another disturbing assumption: It’s highly unlikely any of the talented and accomplished authors on this list would ever be hired by a mainstream media news organization.
Unexamined in today’s dispatch is the question of whether the growth metrics of these authors have remained constant or perhaps slowed … or, as is the case with my “paid subscribers,” recently “fell off a cliff.”
A few notes on methodology …
Authors are listed and ranked according to “total subscribers.”
Except for seven authors (noted below), total subscriber numbers can be found by simply clicking on a Substack author’s name.
A project like this will invariably include embarrassing omissions. No omissions were intentional.
Reader request: To notify me of authors who should be be included in this list, readers can contact me via email (wrjricejunior@gmail.com) or Reader Comments. Via this “crowd-source” approach, this list should become more definitive. (Readers are encouraged to check back periodically to view a revised/updated list.)
Substack also produces “leaderboards” of top content-creators in a variety of categories.
For my project, the most important Substack leaderboard is the platform’s list of authors in the “health-politics” category. Many of the authors listed below are also included in this category. (“Science” and “Politics” are other popular Substack categories with “leaderboard” rankings.)
My list and Substack’s rankings include many disparities. For reasons developed in my addendum notes, I think my list provides better or more-interesting data. (I was particularly struck by the sizable number of authors who don’t show up on any Substack “leaderboards” - for example, my own Substack newsletter).
A note about “Covid contrarians” and Matt Taibbi
The first entry in my list, Matt Taibbi, has referenced dubious Covid memes in his articles and podcast episodes. However, this subject is not the main focus of Taibbi’s journalism or commentary.
Still, when it comes to producing content that highlights alarming trends towards authoritarianism, Taibbi is the undisputed king of “our” team of writers.
A note about the Left’s roster of Substack authors …
I started this project after I noted, with alarm, the huge (and rapidly-growing) subscription numbers of Robert Reich, which were 517K. (UPDATE from March 30th, 2020): Reich now has 881K+ total subscribers. New update on 4-15: More than 940,000.
As one of my astute subscribers noted, the “popularity” of liberal Substacks like those of Reich, Dan Rather and Your Local Epidemiologist - and Michael Moore (who has 736K subscribers) - is perhaps best explained by the fact liberal authors have far fewer “gathering places” on Substack.
That is, compared to writers on “our side,” these subscription numbers are larger because far fewer statist or “comply-or-else” Substack authors felt compelled to create Substack newsletters.
As others have noted, those interested in “officially-sanctioned” content can simply read their local newspaper or popular mainstream websites.
The “Covid Contrian” pool is clearly much deeper and larger; subscribers interested in this content have far more choices. Expressed differently, writers like myself face much greater competition than authors like Mr. Reich.
Also, subscriber numbers are not necessarily the same thing as “total number of readers” or “page views.”
Another important goal of writers is to reach as many readers as possible. At different points in their Substack careers, most newsletter authors listed below have reached large numbers or readers - figures much greater than their subscriber numbers. (I added an Addendum Note that cites examples from my writing career).
Where do I rank on this list?
Per results of this research project, my newsletter ranks No. 94 on this Top-100 list (update: I’d now be lower but haven’t re-numbered the list yet).
If approximately 4,500 authors produce similar content, my ranking puts me in the 98 percentile of this cohort of authors.
I’m flattered to be included in the upper echelons of the group of brave, dedicated and ultra-talented writers who are producing much-needed content that will never be produced by “journalists” working in the captured mainstream media.
Total Subscribers Per numeric range:
200K +: 5
100K to 163K+: 4
80K to 100K: 2
60K to 80K: 8
50K to 60K: 6
40K to 50K: 6
30K to 40K: 10
25K to 30K: 7 (updated on 1-23-25)
20K to 25K: 9
15K to 20K: 7
10K to 15K: 17
7.5K to 10K: 11
5K to 7.5K: 15
2.5K to 5K: 24
1.3K to 2.5K: 13
= 144 (Note: not including seven newsletters with unknown subscriber numbers).
1 to 1.3K: Not currently known by the public; perhaps thousands.
The Top 144 Covid Contrarians …
Note: *Signifies additions to the list made after my first “Top 100” ranking was published.
495K (1) …
1. Matt Taibbi (“Racket News”): 494,900+
347K to 393K (2) …
2. Dr. Joseph Mercola: 392,900+
3. Dr. Robert Malone (“Who is Robert Malone?”): 347,000
200K to 257K (2) …
4. Steve Kirsch: 256,900
5. Alex Berenson (“Unreported Truths”): 244,000
100K to 163K (4) …
6. A Midwestern Doctor (“The Forgotten Side of Medicine”): 170,000+ (updated 1-27 + 8,000 in about 17 days.)
6. Jeff Childers (“Coffee and Covid”): 162,900
8. Courageous Discourse with Dr. Peter McCullough & John Leake: 129,900+ (Note: figures were updated on 2-4-25 … + 3,000).
9. Dr. Naomi Wolf (“Outspoken”): 108,900
80K to 100K (2) …
10. Pierre Kory, MD, MPA (“Medical Musings”): 99,900+
11. The Vigilant Fox: 91,900+
60K to 80K (8) …
12. Jessica Rose (“Unacceptable Jessica”): 78,900+
13. Dr. William Makis (“Covid Intel”): 73,000+
14. James Roguski: 69,900+
*Jon Rappoport: 66.9K+
16. Rand Paul Review: 64,900+
17. Emerald Robinson (“The Right Way”): 63,900+
Note: Ms. Robinson’s site includes a blurb that her newsletter is “the No. 1 Conservative blog on Substack.” If this is accurate, a candidate for No. 1 “liberal” author on Substack (Robert Reich) has 8.23 X more subscribers (526,000).
18. Igor’s Newsletter (By Igor Chudov): 62,900+
19. Eugyppius (“A Plague Chronicle”): 61,900+
*** (Thank you for sharing with your favorite Substack authors) ***
50K to 60K (6) …
20. Breggin Alerts (Dr. Peter and Ginger Breggin): 58,900+
21. Dr. Sircus: 56,900+
22. Dr. Panda’s Newsletter: 54,900+
23. el gata malo (“bad cattitude”): 52,900+
24. Sasha Latypova (“Due Diligence and Art”): 51,900+
*Julie Kelly (“Declassified with Julie Kelly”): 50.9K+
Note: Ms. Kelly’s writing focuses on “weaponization of DOJ” and J-6 content.
40K to 50K (6) …
Dr. Meryl Nass (“CHAOS Newletter”): 47,900+
26. *Clandestine’s Newsletter (By Clandestine): 47,900+ (Added 1-23).
28. Mark Crispin Miller (“News from Underground”): 46,900+
28. Margaret Anna Alice (“Through the Looking Glass”): 42,900
30. Dr. Paul Alexander: 41,900+ (UPDATE: Dr. Alexander told me in a post on 2-4 that his newsletter is “gaining 100 new subscribers per day - so 3000 per month and about 6000 followers on app per month.” Dr. Alexander makes a salient point: The number of “followers” of these authors is greater than their number of “subscribers.”
30. The Corbett Report (By James Corbett): 41,900+
30K to 40K (9) …
32. Toby Rogers (“UTobian”): 37,900+
32. Katherine Watt (“Bailiwick News”): 37,900+
34. Lioness of Judah Ministry (“Exposing the Darkness”): 36.9K+
34. Dr. Tess Lawrie, PhD (“A Better Way”): 36,900+
34. Mathew Crawford (“Rounding the Earth Newsletter”): 36.9K+
*Heather Heying (“Natural Selections”): 34.9K
*2nd Smartest Guy in the World: 33.9K+
*Mattias Desmet: 33,000 (Missed earlier, added 3-3-25.)
*C.J. Hopkins: 31,900+
Paul Thacker is an expert on how D.C. really works.
40. Paul D. Thacker (“The Disinformation Chronicle”): 30.9K+
25K to 30K (6) …
41. Celia Farber (“The Truth Barrier”): 29,900+
41. Jay Bhattacharya/Rav Arora (“The Illusion of Consensus”): 29.9K+
41. Joel Smalley (“Dead Man Talking”): 29,900+
*Dr. Byram W. Bridle (“COVID Chronicles”): 26,900+
The Naked Emperor’s Newsletter: 25,900+
45. *Robert Yoho, MD (“Surviving Healthcare”): 25,900+
20K to 25K (10) …
*Yuri Bezmenov (“How to Subvert Subversion”): 24.9K+ (Updated 1-23)
Note: New addition. Also, Mr. Bezmeov has an organge check mark signifying “hundreds of paid subscribers.” If he has a 4-percent paid ratio, he should have “thousands of paid subscribers” or at least 1,001 paid, which he apparently doesn’t.
47.*Elizabeth Nickson (“Welcome to Absurdistan”): 24,900+
47. *Dr. Ah Kahn Syed (“Arkmedic’s Blog”): 24,900+
50. Maryanne Demasi Reports: 24,900+
50. James Howard Kunstler (“Clusterfuck Nation”): 24.9K+
52. Megan Redshaw (“Truth & Triage”): 21,900+
*Dr. Christiane Northrup (“True North”): 21,900+
54. *Tessa Lena (“Tessa Fights Robots”): 20,900+
54. Justin Hart (“Rational Ground”): 20,900+
54. Walter Kirn (“Unbound”): 20,900+
Note: Add two to numeric rankings below this point since I just added two new newsletters and haven’t changed the numbering below this point.
15K to 20K (7) …
55. Interest of Justice: 19,900+
56. Norman Fenton and Martin Neil (“Where are the numbers?”): 18,900+
*Alex Krainer’s Substack: 18,900+
Note: Krainer’s primary focus is challenging dubious economic narratives
58. Chief Justice of Nuremberg 2.0: 17,900+
*Matt Ehret’s Insights: 16,900+
*Dr. Joseph Sansone (“Mind Matters and Everything Else”): 15.9K+
60. The Real Dr. Judy Data: 15,900+
10K to 15K (17) ….
*The Last American Vagabond Substack: 14,900+
62. PharmaFiles by Aussie17: 14,900+
Jefferey Jaxen (of “HighWire”): 13,900+
65. WMC Research (By Walter M. Chestnut): 12,900+
65. Dr. Mike Yeadon: 12,900+
65. Sharyl’s Substack (By Sharyl Attkisson): 12,900+
65. Lies are Unbekoming (By Unbekoming): 12,900+
*Chris Bray (“Tell Me How this Ends”): 12,900+
Rebekah Barnett writes “Dystopian Down Under”
70. Rebekah Barnett (“Dystopian Down Under”): 12,900+ (updated 1-27)
Note: Rebekah’s newsletter experienced a recent spike of 1,000+ subscribers.
*Frances Leader (“Uncensored”): 11,900+
70. The Real CdC’s Newsletter (By Coquin de Chien): 11,900+
70. Ian Miller (“Unmasked”): 11,900+
70. World Council for Health: 11,900+
*James Delingpole: 11,900+
70. *Cynthia Chung (“Through a Glass Darkly”): 11,900+
77. Doc Malik (“Honest Health”) 10,900+
77. Dr. Philip McMillan (“Vejon”): 11,900+ (updated 3-30)
7.5K to 10K (11) …
79. Sonia Elijah Investigates: 9,900+
*Mike Adams (“The Health Ranger”): 9,900+
81.*Karen Bracken (“Starve the Beast”): 9,300+
82. Denis Rancourt (“Denis’s Substack”): 9,000+
*Christine Massey (“Christine Massey’s ‘germ’ FOI Newsletter”): 8.8K+
No College Mandates Newsletter (By Lucia Sinatra): 8.6K+
*Dr. Colleen Huber (“The Defeat of COVID”): 8.2K+
86. Sam Husseini: 8,100+
87. Gerald Posner (“Just the Facts”): 7,900+
Note: In a recent article, Posner noted that his subscriber numbers increased by “60 percent” in 2024.
*Michael Gray Griffith (“Cafe Locked Out”): 7.7K+
89. John Dee’s Almanac: 7,600+
5K to 7.5K (15) …
90. James Hill, M.D.: 7.4K+
90. Peter’s Newsletter (By Peter Halligan): 7.4K+
92. Bill Rice, Jr’s Newsletter: 7,433 (updated through 3-5-25. My total subscribers have increased by 6.8 percent (+ 479 subscribers) since approximately Jan. 7th. My net paid subscribers have decreased by four in the past 60 days - from 288 to 284).
93. Jessica Hockett (“Woodhouse76”): 6.9K+
*Iain Davis Substack: 6.7K+
94. Conspiracy Sarah: 6.7K+
96. Jenna McCarthy (“Jenna’s Side”): 7.5K+ (updated 4-17)
96. *Moriarty (“Things Hidden in Complexity”): 6.5K+
98. Simulation Commander (“Screaming into the Void”): 6.2K+
99. Mark Oshinskie (“Dispatches from a Scamdemic”): 5.7K+
Madhava Setty (“An Insult to Intuition”): 5.7K+.
101. Dan Fournier (“Inconvenient Truths”): 5.6K+
*Daniel Nagase, MD (“Logical Surprises”): 5.4K+
103. Ashmedai (“Resisting the Intellectual Illiteratti”): 5.1K+
104. Excess DeathsAU: 5,043 (updated).
2.5K to 5K (23) …
105. Kyle Young (“The Secular Heretic”): 4,900+
*Dr. Grouf’s Health Protocols: 4,800+
106.*Jacob Nordangard, PhD (“The Pharos Chronicles”): 4.8K+
106. Ben Bartee (“Armageddon Prose”): 4.8K+
106. Deep Dives and Articles by Gummi Bear: 4.8K+
110. Nurses Notes (By Kimberly Overton, RN): 4.5K+
110. Lawyer Lisa’s Substack: 4,500+
*Andrew Lowenthall: 4,300+ (Added 4-17-25)
112. Sayer’s Substack (By Sayer Ji): 4,200+
Note: Ji started this Substack only five months ago on Aug. 12, 2024.
113. Brownstone Insights (Content from Brownstone writers): 4.5K (updated 1-27 + 400 subscribers in 2 1/2 weeks).
Note: This Substack newsletter should not be confused with Brownstone’s website proper. Also, approximately a dozen Substack authors who also write for Brownstone (including myself) are included in this list.
*Amy Sukwan (“Amy’s Newsletter”): 3.6K+
114. Franklin O’Kanu (“Unorthodox”): 3.6K+
* Teachers for Choice/Michael Kane - 3.5K subscribers as of 3-8-25
117. Jonathan Engler (“Jonathan’s Substack”): 3.2K+
*David Haggith (“The Daily Doom”): 3,000+
117. Lloyd Miller (“Lloyd’s Newsletter”): 3,000+
117. Stop Mandatory Vaccination: 3,000+
*Elizabeth Hart (“Vaccination is Personal”): 3,000+
122. Thorsteinn Siglaugsson (“The Edge of Reason”): 2.9K+
122. Citizen Satirist (“Tales from the Great Reset”): 2.9K+
122. Debbie Lerman: 5,100+ (Updated through end of February)
Note: Debbie, who should now be higher in this ranking, recently got a singificant boost of new subscribers after two stories she wrote about the Means’ siblings were widely read, shared and cross-posted. Her Covid Dossier, co-authored with Sasha Latypova also boosted her subscribers.
122. Dee Dee (“Observations from a Nurse”): 2.7K+
124. Okay Then News (By Raphael Lataster, PhD): 2.6K+
*Just call me Jack (“Totality of Evidence News”): 2.5K+
Note: This author recently noted he had to to cutback on writing to pursue a “real job” (see Reader Comments in separate story).
1.3K to 2.5K (13) …
*Daniel D (“A Ghost in the Machine”): 2.4K+ (Added on 1-26-25).
126. Shrew Views (By Todd Hayen, PhD, RP): 2,300+
127. Catherine Austin Fitts (“The Solari Report”): 2,100+
128. Reid D. Sheftall, M.D. (“First Principles”): 2,000+
128. Health Uncensored: 2,000+
128. JJ Starry (“The Stark Naked Brief”): 2,000+
*Joshua Stylman (“Reading Between the Lies”): 2.0K+
132. Laura Kasner (“Clotastrophe”): 2,043+ (updated Jan. 17)
*Peter Nayland Kust (“All Facts Matter”): 1.7K+
Transcriber B: 1,600+
*Rat (“Rat Says”): 1,500+
136. *Ann Tomoko Rosen (“On Second Thought”): 1.5K+
137. Patrick.Net Memes: 1,300+ (Note: Now No. 143 if numbering was updated).
***
Subscriber numbers not available (7)
Note: I’m not sure why a few Substack newsletters don’t include subscriber numbers.
Ann Coulter. Note: Coulter, one of the world’s best-known conservative writers, does have an orange checkmark next to her site’s name and the message she has “thousands of paid subscribers.” Except for one recent (excellent) article on Covid frauds, Coulter has not been particularly conspicuous in the universe of “Covid Contrarian” writers.
Karen Kingston (“The Kingston Report”). Note: Kingston’s site is No. 11 on Substack’s leaderboard in the the “health-politics” category. Kingston and Coulter would certainly be in my subset of authors who are (probably) making much more than $50,000 year from their Substack writing.
Don Surber (a retired newspaper reporter and critic of the MSM). Note: A Subscriber reports: “Back at the end of the year Don Surber wrote:
"… I want to thank readers for their support. More than 19,000 people receive the newsletter daily through free or paid subscriptions …." This would puts Surber around No. 55 on this list.
Sage’s Newsletter (By Sage Hana).
Dr. John’s Blog (By Dr. John Day)
Good Citizen (“The Good Citizen”. Note: Orange checkmark signifies the Good Citizen has “hundreds of paid subscribers.”
Peggy Hall (“The Healthy American”) - Added to list Jan. 14th. Note Ms. Hall has “hundreds of paid subscribers” as signified by an orange check mark next to her newsletter’s name.
Note: Adding all newsletters listed above (including the 7 shown above) would put the updated list at approximately 150 newsletters.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
By the Numbers:
54 - Approximate number of Substack newsletters in this list who have 25,000 or more subscribers. Members in this group probably generate at least $50,000/year (gross) from their Substack writing. Note: This figure includes four authors whose subscriber numbers are not published by Substack.
110 - Approximate number of Substack authors in the Covid Contrarian/Freedom market who have at least 5,000 total subscribers (also includes five authors whose subscriber numbers are not published.)
5 million+ - Approximate number of cumulative subscribers in this Top 100 list.
Important note: This figure would include many duplicate subscribers as almost every Substack subscriber subscribes to multiple sites (some readers subscribe to more more than 100 newsletters). The “real market” of readers interested in articles produced by “Covid contrarians” or “freedom writers” is, thus, not known. I’d be very interested in learning the number of unique individuals who subscribe to sites like these.
11,900 - Median figure of subscribers for authors on the “Top 137” list.
36,496 - Mean figure for 137 authors on this list.
1.3K to 495K - Range of author subscribers.
2.5K to 5K - Category with the largest number of authors (21).
17,000 - According to multiple sources including Substack, the number of authors who publish a Substack newsletter. Note: This statistic has no doubt grown since this number was first cited in published reports. My guess is 20 to 25 percent of Substack authors might meet the “Covid contrarian” or “freedom writer” label.
35 million - Number of Substack subscribers or “users.” Note: This statistic is also dated.
720K - Number of subscribers for liberal film-maker Micheal Moorer.
Note: I’ll fix typos and errors as I find them.
(I greatly appreciate the free and paid subscribers who have allowed me to grow my writer brand on Substack.)
I'll get to my "Addendum Notes" a little later. Right now, I need a break!
Jeff Childer's Coffee&Covid has become my #1news source. Highly recommend.