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Ghost vs Substack
A detailed comparison to help you choose between Ghost and Substack.
Last reviewed:
| Feature | Ghost | Substack |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing Model | Open Source | Free |
| Free Tier | Yes | Yes |
| Monthly Cost (Solo) | $0 | $0 |
| Target Audience | creators | creators |
| Verified | No | No |
| Solo-Friendly | Yes | Yes |
| Open Source | Yes | No |
| Editorial Rating | 4.5/5 | 4/5 |
| Categories | Email Marketing, No-Code | Email Marketing |
| Key Features | Rich content editor, Built-in memberships and subscriptions, Native newsletter delivery, SEO-optimized by default, Custom themes | Free newsletter publishing, Paid subscription support, Podcast hosting, Community features (Notes, Chat), Custom domains |
| Free Tier Quality | excellent | excellent |
Pricing Breakdown
Ghost
Self-hosted: free (open source). Ghost(Pro) Starter: $9/month (500 members). Creator: $25/month (1,000 members). Team: $50/month. Business: $199/month.
Substack
Free to use. Substack takes 10% of paid subscription revenue. Stripe processing: 2.9% + $0.30. Custom domains: free.
Integration Overlap
Shared Integrations (1)
Stripe
Only in Ghost (7)
ZapierSlackMailgunUnsplashGoogle AnalyticsTwitterCustom integrations via API
Only in Substack (4)
Twitter/XCustom domainsRSS feedsSubstack app
Use Case Fit
Ghost
- * Professional blog publishing
- * Paid newsletter business
- * Membership site creation
- * Content creator platform
- * Publication and media site
Substack
- * Newsletter business creation
- * Paid content and subscription publishing
- * Audience building for writers
- * Podcast distribution
- * Community building for creators
Ghost
Pros
- + Beautiful, focused writing experience
- + Built-in membership and payment collection
- + Native newsletter — no need for Mailchimp
- + Fast, SEO-optimized output
Cons
- - Limited plugin ecosystem vs WordPress
- - Self-hosting requires Node.js knowledge
- - Managed hosting starts at $9/month
- - Fewer themes and customization options
Substack
Pros
- + Completely free to start (Substack takes 10% of paid subs)
- + Built-in audience network and discoverability
- + No technical setup required
- + Mobile reader app drives engagement
Cons
- - 10% revenue cut on paid subscriptions
- - Very limited design customization
- - No advanced email automation
- - You don't fully own your audience data
Editorial Verdict
Both tools are evenly matched on price. Ghost excels at professional blog publishing, while Substack is stronger for newsletter business creation.
Sarah Chen
Editor-in-Chief