beehiiv vs Ghost
beehiiv and Ghost are both popular choices in the newsletter platform space. Ghost has been around since 2013, giving it a 8-year head start over beehiiv (founded 2021). Ghost is the more affordable option at $18/mo — that's $25 less than beehiiv's $43/mo entry point. Both offer free plans to get started. beehiiv has the edge with marketing automation, A/B testing, landing pages.
Quick Verdict
beehiiv wins on deliverability, rating.
Ghost wins on price, integrations.
Best for most users: beehiiv (newsletter creators).
beehiiv
The newsletter platform built for growth
beehiiv was built by the team behind Morning Brew's growth to 4 million subscribers. It's specifically designed for newsletter businesses with built-in monetization through ad networks, paid subscriptions, and referral programs. The highest affiliate commission in the space at up to 60%.
Ghost
Open-source publishing platform with built-in newsletters and memberships
Ghost is an independent, open-source publishing platform built for professional content creators who want full control over their audience and revenue. It combines a beautiful writing editor, built-in newsletters via Mailgun, and native membership/subscription billing with zero platform fees. Available as a free self-hosted solution or as managed Ghost(Pro) hosting starting at $18/month.
Feature Comparison
| Feature | beehiiv | Ghost |
|---|---|---|
| Rating | 4.5/5 | 4.1/5 |
| Starting Price | $43/mo | $18/mo |
| Free Plan | 2,500 subscribers | Self-hosted open-source version is completely free; no free tier on Ghost(Pro) |
| Founded | 2021 | 2013 |
| Email Templates | 20 | 50 |
| Integrations | 40 | 1,000 |
| Deliverability Rate | 98% | 95% |
| Marketing Automation | ✓ | ✕ |
| A/B Testing | ✓ | ✕ |
| Landing Pages | ✓ | ✕ |
| Segmentation | ✓ | ✓ |
| Drag & Drop Editor | ✓ | ✕ |
| SMS Marketing | ✕ | ✕ |
| Ecommerce Features | ✓ | ✓ |
| API Access | ✓ | ✓ |
| Multi-Language | ✕ | ✓ |
| Web Push Notifications | ✕ | ✕ |
| Live Chat | ✕ | ✕ |
| Advanced Analytics | ✓ | ✓ |
beehiiv: Pros & Cons
Pros
- +Purpose-built for newsletter businesses
- +Built-in ad network for monetization
- +Referral program to grow subscribers
- +Paid subscription support
- +Founded by ex-Morning Brew team
Cons
- −Limited to newsletter use case
- −Fewer templates than established tools
- −Smaller integration ecosystem
- −No SMS marketing
- −Relatively new platform (2021)
Ghost: Pros & Cons
Pros
- +Completely open-source with self-hosting option at zero cost
- +Built-in membership and paid subscription system with 0% platform fees on revenue
- +Distraction-free professional editor optimized for long-form writing
- +Significantly faster page load times compared to WordPress, boosting SEO and reader engagement
- +Native newsletter delivery integrated directly into the publishing workflow
Cons
- −Newsletter emails are limited to Mailgun as the sending provider, which is no longer free
- −No plugin ecosystem or marketplace unlike WordPress — limited extensibility
- −Analytics are basic and only show the last 90 days on the dashboard
- −No drag-and-drop email builder or A/B testing for email campaigns
- −Starter plan limited to only 1 staff user and 1 newsletter with no paid subscription support
The Verdict
beehiiv edges ahead with a 4.5/5 rating compared to Ghost's 4.1/5. The gap comes mainly from ease of use (4.8 vs 3.9) and deliverability (4.5 vs 4). On deliverability, beehiiv reports 98% compared to 95% for Ghost — a meaningful difference if inbox placement is critical for your campaigns.
| Criterion | Weight | beehiiv | Ghost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starting Price | 30% | $43/mo | $18/mo |
| Deliverability | 25% | 98% | 95% |
| Rating | 25% | 4.5/5 | 4.1/5 |
| Integrations | 10% | 40 | 1000 |
| Free Tier | 10% | Yes | Yes |
Weights determine how much each criterion counts toward the final score. See full methodology
Choose beehiiv if…
- + You need marketing automation
- + You need built-in landing pages
- + You need A/B testing
- + You're a newsletter creators
Choose Ghost if…
- + You want lower starting costs ($18/mo)
- + You're a independent publishers and bloggers
- + You're a newsletter creators who want zero platform fees