Ghost vs Mailjet
Ghost is a newsletter platform while Mailjet is a email marketing platform. Mailjet starts at $17/mo versus $18/mo for Ghost. Both offer free plans to get started. Ghost stands out with ecommerce integrations, while Mailjet offers marketing automation and A/B testing.
Quick Verdict
Ghost wins on deliverability, rating, integrations.
Mailjet wins on price.
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.
Mailjet
Collaborative email platform for teams with powerful API
Mailjet is a French-founded email platform (now owned by Sinch) that uniquely combines transactional and marketing email under one roof with real-time team collaboration. Its volume-based pricing with unlimited contacts makes it particularly cost-effective for businesses with large subscriber lists but moderate sending frequency. With strong GDPR compliance baked into its European DNA and a flexible API, it bridges the gap between developer-focused tools and marketer-friendly platforms.
Feature Comparison
| Feature | Ghost | Mailjet |
|---|---|---|
| Rating | 4.1/5 | 4/5 |
| Starting Price | $18/mo | $17/mo |
| Free Plan | Self-hosted open-source version is completely free; no free tier on Ghost(Pro) | 6,000 emails/month (200/day), 1,000 contacts |
| Founded | 2013 | 2010 |
| Email Templates | 50 | 70 |
| Integrations | 1,000 | 110 |
| Deliverability Rate | 95% | 88% |
| 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
Mailjet: Pros & Cons
Pros
- +Real-time collaborative email editing lets multiple team members work on the same campaign simultaneously with live comments
- +Volume-based pricing with unlimited contacts means large lists stay affordable — one user grew from 0 to 50,000 subscribers affordably
- +Strong GDPR compliance built into the platform with EU data hosting, as a French-founded company under European regulations
- +RESTful API with SMTP relay supports both transactional and marketing email from a single platform
- +Deliverability rated 88% by EmailToolTester (above 83.1% industry average) with built-in list validation powered by Mailgun
Cons
- −Automation builder covers basics but lacks depth — triggers based on opens/clicks are tricky to configure and abandoned cart requires Zapier
- −No built-in landing page builder, forcing users to rely on third-party tools for lead capture
- −Many of the 110 integrations route through Zapier rather than being native direct connections
- −Migration from other ESPs is largely manual with limited import assistance for contacts, templates, and automations
- −Customer support response times are frequently criticized, with some serious technical issues going unresolved for extended periods
The Verdict
Ghost and Mailjet are closely matched — both score within 0.1 points of each other in our overall rating. Your decision should come down to specific needs rather than overall quality. On deliverability, Ghost reports 95% compared to 88% for Mailjet — a meaningful difference if inbox placement is critical for your campaigns.
| Criterion | Weight | Ghost | Mailjet |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starting Price | 30% | $18/mo | $17/mo |
| Deliverability | 25% | 95% | 88% |
| Rating | 25% | 4.1/5 | 4/5 |
| Integrations | 10% | 1000 | 110 |
| Free Tier | 10% | Yes | Yes |
Weights determine how much each criterion counts toward the final score. See full methodology
Choose Ghost if…
- + You need ecommerce integrations
- + You're a independent publishers and bloggers
- + You're a newsletter creators who want zero platform fees
Choose Mailjet if…
- + You want lower starting costs ($17/mo)
- + You need SMS marketing
- + You need marketing automation
- + You need A/B testing