Ghost alternatives
4 alternatives to Ghost, ranked on the same sourced pricing and capability scores as the rest of the site.
Ghost alternatives, ranked
| # | Tool | Starting price | Best for | Score | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | beehiiv Top pick | Free, then $49/mo Free tier | Newsletter operators who want growth tools and ad revenue built in, and expect to outgrow a hobby list. | | Visit |
| 2 | Kit | Free, then $33/mo Free tier | Creators who want to charge for a newsletter from day one without paying a monthly fee first. | | Visit |
| 3 | MailerLite | Free, then $19/mo Free tier | Small businesses and writers who want the lowest monthly price and no cut of subscription revenue. | | Visit |
| 4 | Substack | Free; 10% of paid revenue Free tier | Writers starting a paid newsletter who would rather give up a share of revenue than pay a monthly bill. | | Visit |
Ranked on weighted capability scores, weighted most heavily towards audience growth tools and publication website. Commission is not an input — see methodology.
For reference, Ghost scores 73 out of 100 on the same newsletter platforms weighting.
beehiiv
Newsletter operators who want growth tools and ad revenue built in, and expect to outgrow a hobby list.
Stronger than Ghost on audience growth tools, free plan and ease of use.
Kit
Creators who want to charge for a newsletter from day one without paying a monthly fee first.
Stronger than Ghost on free plan, paid subscriptions and ease of use.
MailerLite
Small businesses and writers who want the lowest monthly price and no cut of subscription revenue.
Stronger than Ghost on free plan, value for money and ease of use.
Substack
Writers starting a paid newsletter who would rather give up a share of revenue than pay a monthly bill.
Stronger than Ghost on audience growth tools, free plan and paid subscriptions.
More on Ghost
Common questions
What is the best alternative to Ghost?
On our weighted scoring for newsletter platforms, beehiiv is the strongest alternative, at 83 out of 100 against 73 for Ghost. The right switch depends on why you are leaving — the cards on this page show where each alternative is stronger.
What is a cheaper alternative to Ghost?
Of the alternatives we compare, MailerLite has the lowest paid entry price, at $19/mo (monthly; $17.10/mo billed annually).
Is there a free alternative to Ghost?
Yes — beehiiv, Kit, MailerLite and Substack have a free plan. Check the limits on each pricing page; free plans differ widely.
Prices checked against each vendor's own pricing page, most recently on 24 September 2026.
Sources & verification
- kit.com — checked 24 September 2026Paid newsletters and recurring subscriptions on every plan, including free. 3.5% + 30¢ per transaction, inclusive of card processing — Kit says its own share is 0.6%.
- support.substack.com — checked 24 September 2026Publishing is free however many subscribers you have. Paid subscriptions cost nothing a month; Substack takes 10% of each payment.
- support.substack.com — checked 24 September 2026One-time $50 fee to use your own domain.
- support.substack.com — checked 24 September 2026Writers recommend other publications; new recommendations reach their subscribers in a digest email.
- beehiiv.com — checked 24 September 2026
- beehiiv.com — checked 24 September 2026Launch plan: free for up to 2,500 subscribers, with unlimited email sends, a website and custom domains. No card required. Paid subscriptions, automations and the ad network need a paid plan.
- mailerlite.com — checked 24 September 2026
- mailerlite.com — checked 24 September 2026No sales fee on paid newsletters; Stripe processes the payments.
- mailerlite.com — checked 24 September 2026Free plan: up to 250 subscribers and 2,500 emails a month, with 3 automations, 1 website and 1 landing page. Paid newsletters, custom domains and removing the MailerLite logo need a paid plan.