Ghost vs Substack
Both are in Newsletter platforms. Here is how their plans, prices and features compare, taken from each vendor's own site.
The main differences
- Fees: Ghost Custom pricing; Substack 10% of paid-subscription revenue, plus credit card fees.
| Ghost | Substack | |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | from $15/mo | Not verified yet |
| Free plan | Not stated by the vendor | Not stated by the vendor |
| Free trial | Yes | Not stated by the vendor |
| Plans | Starter ($15/mo annual); Publisher ($29/mo annual); Business ($199/mo annual); Custom () | Revenue share () |
| Fees | Custom pricing | 10% of paid-subscription revenue, plus credit card fees |
| Best for | Not stated | Not stated |
| Key features | Your own website and email newsletter; Free custom domain; Unlimited email sends and managed deliverability; Paid subscriptions, tips and premium tiers (Publisher and up) | Newsletters with free and paid posts; Paid subscriptions set up in minutes; You own your content and subscriber list |
| Checked on | 2026-10-02 | 2026-10-02 |
Prices change; confirm on the vendor's site before you buy. Full details and sources are on each tool's page.
Ghost
- No payment fees from Ghost on paid subscriptions
- Unlimited email sends on every plan
- Website and newsletter in one product
- Cancel or change plan at any time
Trade-offs
- Starter has no paid subscriptions
- Prices are for 1,000 members; Business covers 10,000
- Starter allows only 1 staff user
Substack
- No monthly fee is listed on the page
- Writers keep 90% of subscription revenue before card fees
- Set free or paid access post by post
Trade-offs
- Substack keeps 10% of revenue, on top of credit card fees
- The page does not list a plan comparison or feature tiers