Substack
Free to start (10% of paid subscriptions)
Ghost
From ~$9 per mo (Ghost Pro) / free self-hosted
Substack is the simplest way to start a newsletter, with a built-in reader network but a 10% cut of paid subscriptions. Ghost is an open-source platform you own, with flat-fee pricing and deep customization. Substack wins on ease and discovery; Ghost wins on ownership and economics at scale.
Pick Substack if you want the easiest possible start and value discovery from a built-in reader network, with no upfront cost.
Pick Ghost if you want full ownership, deep customization, and flat-fee pricing that keeps 100% of your subscription revenue.
Substack and Ghost both let you publish a newsletter and charge for subscriptions, but their business models diverge sharply. Substack is the frictionless option: sign up, write, and you are live, with a built-in network that can surface your work to new readers. The catch is that Substack takes 10% of your paid subscription revenue (plus payment fees). Ghost is open source, so you fully own your site, can customize it deeply, and pay a flat hosting fee (or self-host for free) rather than a percentage of revenue.
On price, Substack is free to start but takes 10% of paid revenue, while Ghost Pro starts around $9 a month as a flat fee and is free if you self-host. The choice is mostly ease and discovery (Substack) versus ownership, customization, and flat-fee economics (Ghost).
We compare pricing, revenue cut, ownership, customization, and discovery.
| Quick facts | Substack | Ghost |
|---|---|---|
| Upfront cost | Free to start | From ~$9/mo (or self-host free) |
| Revenue cut | 10% of paid subs | None (flat fee) |
| Ownership / portability | Limited | Best-in-class |
| Built-in discovery | Best-in-class | Limited |
| Best for | Easy start + discovery | Ownership + scale economics |
Each row reflects the feature on each product's current public release.
| Feature | S Substack | G Ghost |
|---|---|---|
| Newsletter + paid subscriptions | Yes | Yes |
| Built-in reader network / discovery | Best-in-class | Limited |
| No revenue cut | No | Yes |
| Full ownership / self-hosting | No | Yes |
| Deep theme customization | Limited | Best-in-class |
| Open-source platform | No | Yes |
| Memberships & tiers | Yes | Yes |
| Frictionless setup | Best-in-class | Good |
Pricing and features change often. Always verify the current details on each product's official site. Last reviewed 2026-06-26.
Things neither product's marketing page leads with.
Substack is the easiest to start and can drive discovery, but its 10% cut grows expensive as your paid revenue scales.
Ghost keeps all of your subscription revenue and gives you ownership and customization, but you handle more setup and bring your own audience.
For a fast launch Substack wins; once paid revenue is meaningful, Ghost's flat fee usually wins on economics.
The average person juggles a dozen subscriptions and forgets at least one. Subkept is a privacy-first subscription tracker: add Substack, Ghost, and everything else, then get renewal reminders, price-hike alerts, and a clear monthly total, with no bank connection, ever. Free for up to 5 subscriptions, no time limit.