Ghost
Ghost Foundation
7.3
Overall Score / 10
beehiiv
beehiiv Inc.
8.4
Overall Score / 10
Our Verdict
Choose Ghost 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 beehiiv 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 | Ghost | beehiiv |
|---|---|---|
| Cheapest Paid Plan | $18/mo (Starter)Source: Ghost Foundation pricing page → | $49/mo (Scale)Source: beehiiv Inc. pricing page → |
| Free Tier | No No free tier. Ghost(Pro) starts at $15/mo billed annually. Self-hosted Ghost is free and open source. | Yes 2,500 subscribers, unlimited sends, custom domain, website builder, beehiiv branding |
| Value for Money | 8 | 9 |
| Ease of Use | 6 | 8 |
| Feature Power | 7 | 8 |
| Setup Ease | 5 | 9 |
| Migration Ease | 5 | 8 |
| Transparency | 10 | 8 |
| Deployment | hybrid | cloud |
| API Available | Yes | Yes |
| Platforms | Web | Web, iOS |
| Compliance | GDPR (self-hosted: full control) | GDPR tools available |
Feature Comparison
Feature Comparison Matrix
20 features compared · 18 differences
| Feature | Ghost | beehiiv |
|---|---|---|
| Core | ||
| Built-in ad network | None | Full |
| Magic links | None | Full |
| Native memberships & subscriptions | Full | None |
| Newsletter delivery | Full | None |
| Newsletter editor | None | Full |
| Open source | Full | None |
| Polls and surveys | None | Full |
| Powerful editor | Full | None |
| Referral program | None | Full |
| Self-hostable | Full | None |
| SEO built-in | Full | None |
| Stripe-native payments | Full | None |
| Website builder | None | Full |
| Advanced | ||
| 3D analytics | None | Full |
| Audience segmentation | None | Full |
| Custom domains | None | Full |
| Custom themes | Full | None |
| Paid subscriptions | None | Full |
| Integrations | ||
| API access | Full | Full |
| Integrations via Zapier/webhooks | Full | Full |
Pricing Comparison
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
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
Who Should Choose Which?
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
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
Switching Guidance
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
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
Try Ghost
Plans from $18/mo
Try beehiiv
Start free — no credit card required