Campaign Monitor vs Ghost
Campaign Monitor is a email marketing platform while Ghost is a newsletter platform. Campaign Monitor has been around since 2004, giving it a 9-year head start over Ghost (founded 2013). Campaign Monitor is the more affordable option at $12/mo — that's $6 less than Ghost's $18/mo entry point. Ghost offers a free plan (Self-hosted open-source version is completely free; no free tier on Ghost(Pro)), while Campaign Monitor does not. Campaign Monitor has the edge with marketing automation, A/B testing, SMS marketing.
Quick Verdict
Campaign Monitor wins on price, deliverability.
Ghost wins on integrations, free tier.
Best for most users: Campaign Monitor (agencies).
Campaign Monitor
Beautifully crafted email marketing
Campaign Monitor is particularly well-suited for agencies and brands that need polished, branded email campaigns. Its client management features and beautiful template builder make it a popular choice for marketing agencies managing multiple client accounts.
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 | Campaign Monitor | Ghost |
|---|---|---|
| Rating | 4.1/5 | 4.1/5 |
| Starting Price | $12/mo | $18/mo |
| Free Plan | No free plan | Self-hosted open-source version is completely free; no free tier on Ghost(Pro) |
| Founded | 2004 | 2013 |
| Email Templates | 120 | 50 |
| Integrations | 250 | 1,000 |
| Deliverability Rate | 97.5% | 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 | ✓ | ✓ |
Campaign Monitor: Pros & Cons
Pros
- +Excellent email template builder
- +Strong agency features and client management
- +Good deliverability
- +Time zone sending optimization
- +Link review feature prevents broken links
Cons
- −No free plan
- −Lite plan caps at 2,500 emails
- −Premier plan expensive ($159/mo)
- −No landing page builder
- −Limited automation on lower tiers
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
Campaign Monitor and Ghost are closely matched — both score within 0.0 points of each other in our overall rating. Your decision should come down to specific needs rather than overall quality. On deliverability, Campaign Monitor reports 97.5% compared to 95% for Ghost — a meaningful difference if inbox placement is critical for your campaigns.
| Criterion | Weight | Campaign Monitor | Ghost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starting Price | 30% | $12/mo | $18/mo |
| Deliverability | 25% | 97.5% | 95% |
| Rating | 25% | 4.1/5 | 4.1/5 |
| Integrations | 10% | 250 | 1000 |
| Free Tier | 10% | No | Yes |
Weights determine how much each criterion counts toward the final score. See full methodology
Choose Campaign Monitor if…
- + You want lower starting costs ($12/mo)
- + You need SMS marketing
- + You need marketing automation
- + You need A/B testing
Choose Ghost if…
- + You need a free plan to get started
- + You're a independent publishers and bloggers
- + You're a newsletter creators who want zero platform fees