beehiiv
beehiiv Inc.
8.4
Overall Score / 10
Ghost
Ghost Foundation
7.3
Overall Score / 10
Our Verdict
Choose beehiiv if:
- —You want full ownership with custom themes and self-hosting option
- —You're building a professional publication or blog with memberships
- —You value open source and data sovereignty
Choose Ghost if:
- —You want built-in growth tools without technical setup
- —You want to monetize through ads and referral programs
- —You prefer a managed platform focused specifically on newsletters
The biggest difference: Ghost is open-source with custom themes and full data ownership; beehiiv is a managed platform with built-in ad network, referral program, and growth analytics
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Criteria | beehiiv | Ghost |
|---|---|---|
| Cheapest Paid Plan | $49/mo (Scale)Source: beehiiv Inc. pricing page → | $18/mo (Starter)Source: Ghost Foundation pricing page → |
| Free Tier | Yes 2,500 subscribers, unlimited sends, custom domain, website builder, beehiiv branding | No No free tier. Ghost(Pro) starts at $15/mo billed annually. Self-hosted Ghost is free and open source. |
| Value for Money | 9 | 8 |
| Ease of Use | 8 | 6 |
| Feature Power | 8 | 7 |
| Setup Ease | 9 | 5 |
| Migration Ease | 8 | 5 |
| Transparency | 8 | 10 |
| Deployment | cloud | hybrid |
| API Available | Yes | Yes |
| Platforms | Web, iOS | Web |
| Compliance | GDPR tools available | GDPR (self-hosted: full control) |
Feature Comparison
Feature Comparison Matrix
20 features compared · 18 differences
| Feature | beehiiv | Ghost |
|---|---|---|
| Core | ||
| Built-in ad network | Full | None |
| Magic links | Full | None |
| Native memberships & subscriptions | None | Full |
| Newsletter delivery | None | Full |
| Newsletter editor | Full | None |
| Open source | None | Full |
| Polls and surveys | Full | None |
| Powerful editor | None | Full |
| Referral program | Full | None |
| Self-hostable | None | Full |
| SEO built-in | None | Full |
| Stripe-native payments | None | Full |
| Website builder | Full | None |
| Advanced | ||
| 3D analytics | Full | None |
| Audience segmentation | Full | None |
| Custom domains | Full | None |
| Custom themes | None | Full |
| Paid subscriptions | Full | None |
| Integrations | ||
| API access | Full | Full |
| Integrations via Zapier/webhooks | Full | Full |
Pricing Comparison
beehiiv Pricing
2,500 subscribers, unlimited sends, website, custom domain
Unlimited subscribers, ad network, referral program, polls, premium themes
Everything in Scale + priority support, API access, advanced analytics, newsroom
Dedicated support, custom migrations, SLA
Ghost Pricing
1,000 members, 1 staff user, basic features
Unlimited members, 3 staff, paid subscriptions, custom themes, newsletters
Unlimited members, unlimited staff, priority support, advanced integrations
Who Should Choose Which?
Who should choose beehiiv
Best for
- Newsletter creators serious about growth and monetization
- Media operators building a newsletter business
- Anyone who wants built-in referral and ad tools
Avoid if
- You need full marketing automation (sequences, lead scoring)
- You need CRM functionality
- You need deep e-commerce integrations
Who should choose Ghost
Best for
- Professional publishers who want full ownership
- Developers who want a customizable open-source platform
- Creators who want memberships without a revenue cut
Avoid if
- You want the simplest setup possible
- You need marketing automation
- You're not comfortable with some technical setup
Switching Guidance
Switching from beehiiv
Common triggers to leave:
- •Need full marketing automation
- •Need CRM
- •Need e-commerce integrations beyond Stripe
Potential blockers:
- •Ad network revenue
- •Referral program subscribers
- •Custom website/domain setup
Switching from Ghost
Common triggers to leave:
- •Need marketing automation
- •Need simpler setup
- •Need mobile app for readers
Potential blockers:
- •Custom theme investment
- •Self-hosted infrastructure
- •Member/subscriber data
Try beehiiv
Start free — no credit card required
Try Ghost
Plans from $18/mo