Beehiiv vs Ghost
Side-by-side comparison to help you pick the right tool.
| Beehiiv | Ghost | |
|---|---|---|
| Tagline | Newsletter platform built for growth with segmentation and ad network. | Open-source publishing platform for independent creators. |
| Category | Writing Content | Writing Content |
| Pricing | Freemium | Freemium |
| Skill Level | Beginner | Intermediate |
| Platforms | Web, Browser | Web, Browser, Api Headless |
| Use Cases | Content Creation, Solo Indie, Small Team | Solo Indie, Content Creation, Side Project |
| Traits | Has Free Tier, Fast To Set Up, Active Development | Self Hostable, Good Api, Active Development, Open Source |
| Best For | Best for newsletter operators who want advanced audience growth tools, segmentation, and direct advertising revenue without leaving their email platform. | Best for writers and creators who want to build a paid newsletter or membership site without platform revenue cuts. |
Beehiiv
Beehiiv is a newsletter platform built by former Morning Brew engineers, available on web, focused on audience growth for serious newsletter operators. It includes subscriber segmentation by behaviour and custom attributes, referral programmes that reward readers for growing your list, a built-in ad network connecting newsletters with sponsors for direct advertising revenue, A/B testing for subject lines and content, and a web-hosted archive. The free tier supports up to 2,500 subscribers; Scale and Max plans unlock advanced features. Beehiiv is used by professional newsletter creators, media companies, and indie publishers who want more sophisticated audience growth tools, monetisation options, and analytics than general-purpose email platforms like Mailchimp provide.
View detailsGhost
Ghost is an open-source headless CMS and newsletter platform built for independent creators and publishers, available as a managed Ghost Pro service or self-hosted on your own server via Node.js or Docker. It handles paid memberships and subscriptions directly, keeping 100% of revenue minus payment processor fees. Email newsletters are built in, with a Mailgun integration for high deliverability. The Handlebars-based theme system and JSON API make it flexible for custom publishing setups. Ghost Pro's pricing is based on member count, not a flat fee. It is the platform of choice for writers, podcasters, and content businesses who want a professional publishing stack without relying on Substack's platform terms.
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