beehiiv vs Ghost
Growth platform against publishing platform. Two strong Substack alternatives with different DNA.
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beehiiv
Built by newsletter people, with growth tools nobody else has.
Ghost
Own your publication with open source and 0% fees on memberships.
Prices last checked on
| Feature | beehiiv | Ghost |
|---|---|---|
| Our score | 4.6 / 5 | 4.4 / 5 |
| Price | From $43.08/mo | From $18/mo |
| Free plan | ||
| Best for | Newsletter-first creators | Independent publishers |
| Category | For creators | For creators |
| Provider | beehiiv Inc. | Ghost Foundation |
| Visit beehiiv | Visit Ghost |
Our verdict
Ghost is the publisher's choice, with open source, a beautiful website with memberships built in, 0% fees, and complete ownership. beehiiv is the operator's choice, with referral programs, an ad network, boosts, and analytics tuned for growing a newsletter business fast. Both let you keep your subscription revenue.
If you are building a publication with a website at its heart, take Ghost. If the newsletter and its growth curve are the product, beehiiv wins.
“The platform that treats your newsletter as a business from day one. Free up to 2,500 subscribers, a referral program and ad network built in, and no cut taken from paid subscriptions. The strongest growth story in this lineup.”Editorial team, on beehiiv
“A full publishing platform with newsletters built in, open source, and 0% fees on paid memberships. For writers who want to own their website and their list, the most independent option there is.”Editorial team, on Ghost
Frequently asked questions
beehiiv or Ghost: which one should I build on?
If you are building a publication with a website at its heart, Ghost. It is open source, gives you a proper site with memberships built in, charges 0% on membership revenue and hands you complete ownership. If the newsletter and its growth curve are the product, beehiiv wins, with referrals, an ad network, boosts and analytics tuned to growing fast.
What do beehiiv and Ghost cost?
beehiiv is free up to 2,500 subscribers, and the Scale plan is $39 a month or $468 a year. Ghost's hosted Starter plan is $18 a month, $216 a year on annual billing, covering up to 500 members, and paid memberships need a plan above Starter. Self-hosting Ghost is free if you run the server yourself (US dollars, checked August 2026).
Which is quicker to get running?
beehiiv. Ghost asks for more setup than beehiiv or Substack, and self-hosting adds server maintenance on top. beehiiv puts you on a free plan with a website and the recommendation network included, so the first issue can go out without configuration work. Choose Ghost when the setup buys you something you actually want, namely full ownership.
Do either of them take a cut of my paid subscriptions?
No. Ghost takes 0% of membership revenue and charges a flat hosting fee instead, and beehiiv takes no cut of paid subscriptions on its paid plans. That is the shared reason both keep pulling writers off Substack, where 10% of subscription revenue leaves with every payment. Here you are comparing subscription costs, not revenue shares.