Ghost vs Substack: Pricing and Ratings Compared (2026)
Entry prices and free plans as read on each vendor's pricing page, and user ratings as published on review sites, for Ghost and Substack side by side. This page compares data; it is not a hands-on review.
On the data: On the data below, Ghost leads on higher user rating. We do not name an overall winner for this pair.
Short on time? Here's the quick answer
Based on published vendor pricing and features and on public review data, here's who should pick what:
Ghost
Professional publishing platform
Best for you if:
- • You want zero platform transaction fees on paid memberships, only standard Stripe fees apply
Substack
Newsletter platform for writers
Best for you if:
- • You want completely free to start
| At a Glance | Ghost | Substack |
|---|---|---|
Starts at | Free plan, paid from $18/mo, billed yearly Starter plan | Free plan |
Category | CMS Blogging Platforms | Writing & Content Membership Sites |
Rating | 3.9/5 Capterra 4.8 · SourceForge 2.4 · G2 4.5 264 reviews | 2.4/5 Trustpilot 1.3 · G2 4.3 179 reviews |
Free plan | Yes | Yes |
Watch out for | n/a | Stripe payment processing fees (approx. 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction) |
Choose Ghost or Substack?
Choose Ghost if
- You want zero platform transaction fees on paid memberships, only standard Stripe fees apply
- You want purpose-built for content monetization with native newsletters and subscriptions
- You work in CMS, not writing & content
Choose Substack if
- You want completely free to start
- You want built-in payments
- You work in writing & content, not CMS
In-Depth Analysis
Ghost
Professional publishing platform
Ghost's pricing is quite generous, especially with the robust free self-hosted option.
Strengths
- Pro: Zero platform transaction fees on paid memberships, only standard Stripe fees apply
- Pro: Purpose-built for content monetization with native newsletters and subscriptions
- Pro: Open source and fully self-hostable with no vendor lock-in
- Pro: Clean, fast editor that stays out of the way for long-form writing
- Pro: Strong SEO defaults including structured data, canonical URLs, and sitemaps
Weaknesses
- Con: Managed Ghost(Pro) pricing scales with member count, which gets expensive at scale
- Con: Theme customization requires Handlebars knowledge, no drag-and-drop page builder
- Con: Plugin ecosystem is limited compared to WordPress
- Con: Self-hosting requires Node.js server management and manual updates
- Con: No built-in commenting system, requires third-party integration
Key features
Substack
Newsletter platform for writers
Substack's pricing is incredibly generous, offering a full-featured free tier and only taking a 10% cut of revenue for paid newsletters.
Watch out
Stripe payment processing fees (approx. 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction)
Strengths
- Pro: Completely free to start
- Pro: Built-in payments
- Pro: Simple to use
- Pro: Large network
Weaknesses
- Con: 10% revenue cut
- Con: Limited customization
- Con: Basic features
Key features
Plans and prices: Ghost vs Substack
| Tool | Plans and prices | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Ghost |
| ghost.org/pricing read Nov 1, 2026 |
| Substack |
| substack.com read Oct 8, 2026 |
Prices as read on each vendor's own pricing page on the date shown. Plans are listed per tool and are not matched against the other tool's plans: a plan name or price in one column says nothing about the same row in the other. Details on Ghost pricing and Substack pricing.
Key Takeaways
Ghost
- Higher user rating: 3.9/5 vs 2.4/5
Substack
- Choose if you want newsletter platform for writers
What the data shows
On the data below, Ghost leads on higher user rating. We do not name an overall winner for this pair.
- Ghost has the higher user rating (3.9/5 from 264 reviews for Ghost, 2.4/5 from 179 reviews for Substack).
- Ghost starts at $18/mo, billed yearly; Substack has no public paid plan price on file.
- Both have a free plan.
Criteria: user rating (only above 20 reviews on both sides, gap of 0.2 or more), entry price (only on the same billing basis), free plan. How we rate
Frequently Asked Questions
How do Ghost and Substack compare in 2026?
On the data below, Ghost leads on higher user rating. We do not name an overall winner for this pair. Ghost has the higher user rating (3.9/5 from 264 reviews for Ghost, 2.4/5 from 179 reviews for Substack). Ghost starts at $18/mo, billed yearly; Substack has no public paid plan price on file. Both have a free plan.
What are Ghost and Substack used for?
Ghost: Professional publishing platform. Substack: Newsletter platform for writers.
What does Ghost cost vs Substack?
Ghost's cheapest paid plan is Starter at $18/mo, billed yearly; it also has a free plan. Substack has no public paid-plan price on file. Prices read on the vendors' pricing pages, latest check Nov 1, 2026.
What's the main difference between Ghost and Substack?
Ghost's main strength: zero platform transaction fees on paid memberships, only standard Stripe fees apply. Substack's main strength: completely free to start.