Ghost vs Substack
Side-by-side comparison to help you pick the right tool.
| Ghost | Substack | |
|---|---|---|
| Tagline | Open-source publishing platform for independent creators. | Newsletter platform where writers monetise directly with paid subscriptions. |
| Category | Writing Content | Writing Content |
| Pricing | Freemium | Freemium |
| Skill Level | Intermediate | Beginner |
| Platforms | Web, Browser, Api Headless | Web, Browser, Ios, Android |
| Use Cases | Solo Indie, Content Creation, Side Project | Content Creation, Solo Indie, Portfolio Showcase |
| Traits | Self Hostable, Good Api, Active Development, Open Source | Has Free Tier, Fast To Set Up |
| Best For | Best for writers and creators who want to build a paid newsletter or membership site without platform revenue cuts. | Best for independent writers and journalists who want to build an audience and earn recurring revenue without running their own publishing stack. |
Ghost
Ghost is a headless CMS and newsletter platform built for creators who want to monetize their audience. It handles paid memberships, email newsletters, and SEO out of the box — self-host for free or use Ghost Pro.
View detailsSubstack
Substack lets any writer launch a newsletter with free and paid tiers. It handles payments, subscriber management, a web reader, and a podcast feed — all in one place. Writers keep 90 % of paid subscription revenue. The platform also has a discovery network to grow your audience organically.
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