Ghost
Publishers who want a real website and full control of their brand, with no revenue share, and who either pay for Ghost(Pro) or can run their own server.
Quick overview
- Pricing
- Self-hosted free; Ghost(Pro) from $15/month (billed yearly, 1,000 members); paid subscriptions from $29/month (Publisher, billed yearly)
- Plans
- Self-hosting the open-source software is free; you pay for the server and email sending. Ghost(Pro) Starter: $15/month billed yearly ($180/year) or $18 monthly, 1,000 members only, no paid subscriptions. Publisher (members, billed yearly per month / monthly): 1,000 $29 / $35; 2,500 $46 / $55; 5,000 $63 / $75; 10,000 $88 / $105; 25,000 $141 / $169; 50,000 $208 / $249; 100,000 $274 / $329. Business: from $199/month billed yearly ($239 monthly) up to 10,000 members. Custom: contact sales. 0% Ghost fee on paid subscriptions; Stripe fees apply.
- G2 rating
- 4.0 / 5.0
- Comparisons
- Featured in 4 comparisons
Key features
- Website, blog, newsletter and memberships in one
- Paid subscriptions, tiers, tips and offers through your own Stripe, 0% Ghost fee
- Custom themes and a theme marketplace (Publisher and up)
- Substack migrator that brings paid subscribers over on the same Stripe account
- Open source and free to self-host
Pros
- 0% platform fee on paid subscriptions
- Strong website and theme control, free custom domain on Ghost(Pro)
- Open source, run by a non-profit foundation
- Documented migration path from Substack and beehiiv
Cons
- No free hosted plan, and Starter cannot take payments
- Smaller built-in discovery than Substack
- Self-hosting means you handle the server, updates and email delivery
Ghost in our comparisons
beehiiv vs Substack
Substack costs nothing until readers pay and has the best discovery. beehiiv costs a monthly plan but takes 0% of paid revenue, so it wins once you earn about $950/month on a 5,000-subscriber list.
Marcus WilliamsUpdated October 2026Best CMS for Small Business
Pick self-hosted WordPress if you want control and room to grow. Pick Squarespace or Wix if you want a site with no maintenance.
+2
Emily RodriguezUpdated October 2026Best Website Builder for Startups
Framer is the best website builder for most early-stage startups: fast to build, investor-ready design and a free first year of Pro for eligible seed teams. Pick Webflow if content will drive growth.
+1Emily RodriguezUpdated October 2026Kit alternatives
For most newsletter writers, beehiiv is the best Kit alternative: 0% on paid subscriptions, an ad network and paid recommendations. Pick Substack for a free start with discovery, or Ghost to own your site with no revenue cut.
+2Marcus WilliamsUpdated October 2026