Ghost vs Loops
Ghost is a newsletter platform while Loops is a email marketing platform. Ghost has been around since 2013, giving it a 9-year head start over Loops (founded 2022). Ghost is the more affordable option at $18/mo — that's $31 less than Loops's $49/mo entry point. Both offer free plans to get started. Ghost stands out with ecommerce integrations and advanced analytics, while Loops offers marketing automation.
Quick Verdict
Ghost wins on price, integrations.
Loops wins on rating.
Best for most users: Ghost (independent publishers and bloggers).
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.
Loops
The email platform built for SaaS
Loops is a developer-first email platform designed exclusively for SaaS companies, combining marketing and transactional email in a single clean interface. Built by Y Combinator alumni, it features a Notion-style block editor, event-based automation triggered by user behavior like signups and upgrades, and contact-based pricing with unlimited sends. Its standout strength is letting small SaaS teams replace both their marketing email tool and transactional service (like SendGrid) with one unified platform.
Feature Comparison
| Feature | Ghost | Loops |
|---|---|---|
| Rating | 4.1/5 | 4.6/5 |
| Starting Price | $18/mo | $49/mo |
| Free Plan | Self-hosted open-source version is completely free; no free tier on Ghost(Pro) | 1,000 contacts, 4,000 sends/month, Loops branding |
| Founded | 2013 | 2022 |
| Email Templates | 50 | 15 |
| Integrations | 1,000 | 24 |
| Deliverability Rate | 95% | 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 | ✓ | ✕ |
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
Loops: Pros & Cons
Pros
- +Clean Notion-style block editor with extremely fast email creation and minimal learning curve
- +Unified platform for both marketing and transactional emails eliminates need for separate services like SendGrid
- +Simple contact-based pricing with unlimited sends and no per-seat charges on all paid plans
- +Strong developer-focused API with direct integrations for Stripe, Supabase, Clerk, and webhook support
- +Founder-led customer support with direct access via live chat, email, and 1:1 Calendly calls
Cons
- −Limited automation logic — lacks advanced multi-branch workflows and conditional logic found in mature platforms
- −No built-in CRM or detailed contact history, requiring external tools for relationship management
- −Editor has reported bugs including no undo functionality, risking accidental content loss
- −Narrow SaaS-only focus makes it unsuitable for ecommerce, media, or non-tech industries
- −Very small integration ecosystem (24 native integrations) compared to competitors with hundreds
The Verdict
Loops edges ahead with a 4.6/5 rating compared to Ghost's 4.1/5. The gap comes mainly from support (4.5 vs 3.9) and deliverability (4.6 vs 4).
| Criterion | Weight | Ghost | Loops |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starting Price | 30% | $18/mo | $49/mo |
| Deliverability | 25% | 95% | 95% |
| Rating | 25% | 4.1/5 | 4.6/5 |
| Integrations | 10% | 1000 | 24 |
| Free Tier | 10% | Yes | Yes |
Weights determine how much each criterion counts toward the final score. See full methodology
Choose Ghost if…
- + You want lower starting costs ($18/mo)
- + You need ecommerce integrations
- + You need advanced analytics
- + You're a independent publishers and bloggers
Choose Loops if…
- + You need marketing automation
- + You're a saas startups
- + You're a developer first teams