Ghost vs beehiiv
Verdict. Ghost edges it for most paid publications. Both take 0% of subscriptions, so the gap is the plan price, $35 a month for Ghost Publisher against $59 for beehiiv Lite at 1,000 subscribers. That $24 difference holds across our math, $240 against $264 at $5,000 a month. Ghost is also open source, so you can self-host and never get locked in. beehiiv is the stronger growth tool. Its ad network, paid recommendations and referral program can earn you money and readers, and Ghost has no ad network or paid recommendation marketplace.
Pick Ghost if
you want the lowest flat bill for a paid publication and code you can take with you, with posts that reach Mastodon and Threads through ActivityPub.
Pick beehiiv if
growth and ad income matter more to you than ownership, or you want a free plan for your first 2,500 subscribers.
Side by side
| Compared | Ghost | beehiiv |
|---|---|---|
| Our score | 7.8 / 10 | 7.5 / 10 |
| Best for | Independent publishers who want 0% fees and full ownership | Growth-focused newsletters that want ad and referral income |
| What it costs | Ghost takes 0% of subscription revenue, so you pay a flat Ghost(Pro) fee from $35 a month billed monthly for paid features, or nothing for self-hosting, plus Stripe's card fees. | beehiiv takes 0% of paid subscriptions and digital products, so you pay the plan price, $59 a month billed monthly for Lite at 1,000 subscribers, plus Stripe's 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction. |
| Keep from $1,000 | $906 (Publisher) | $882 (Lite) |
| Plans from | $35/month | $59/month |
| Payouts | Money goes straight into your own Stripe account and pays out to your bank on Stripe's schedule. Ghost doesn't sit between you and your revenue. | Subscription and product sales pay out from your own Stripe account on Stripe's schedule. Ad network earnings reach your beehiiv Wallet on the 20th of each month for the previous month's ads, and paid recommendation earnings arrive as subscribers pass verification. Wallet withdrawals to your bank take 3 to 5 business days. |
| Who can join | Open to anyone 13 or older. Paid memberships need a Stripe account and the Publisher plan or higher, or a self-hosted install. | Open to anyone 18 or older. Paid subscriptions need the Lite plan or higher and a Stripe account. The ad network isn't available in every region or during trials. |
| Founded | 2013 | 2021 |
Scorecards
| Criterion | Possible | Awarded |
|---|---|---|
| Fees$94 on $1,000 a month | 3.0 | 2.19 |
| FeaturesDepth for its category | 2.0 | 1.60 |
| EaseSignup to first sale | 1.5 | 1.05 |
| OwnershipExport, domain, own payments | 2.0 | 1.80 |
| PayoutsSpeed, methods, countries | 1.5 | 1.20 |
| Total | 10.0 | 7.8 |
| Criterion | Possible | Awarded |
|---|---|---|
| Fees$118 on $1,000 a month | 3.0 | 1.83 |
| FeaturesDepth for its category | 2.0 | 1.80 |
| EaseSignup to first sale | 1.5 | 1.20 |
| OwnershipExport, domain, own payments | 2.0 | 1.60 |
| PayoutsSpeed, methods, countries | 1.5 | 1.05 |
| Total | 10.0 | 7.5 |
Where Ghost falls short
- The $18 Starter plan can't take payments. Paid features start at $35 a month billed monthly.
- Hosting price climbs with members, free ones included. 10,000 members on Publisher costs $105 a month.
- Weaker built-in discovery than Substack's app or beehiiv's network.
- No ad network or paid recommendation marketplace for extra income.
- Self-hosting means you handle updates, uptime, security and email delivery.
Where beehiiv falls short
- Free can't sell subscriptions. Paid tiers start at $59 a month billed monthly.
- The October 2026 repricing took Lite at 10,000 subscribers from $109 to $139 a month, per The Verge.
- Paid recommendations carry a 20% fee, built into the price you see.
- You can't opt out of appearing in the recommendations network.
Still deciding? See every option in newsletter platforms.