Ghost vs Mailjet
Ghost is a newsletter platform while Mailjet is a email marketing platform. Ghost starts at $18/mo, while Mailjet starts at $9/mo. Their pricing is not measured the same way, so we don't rank them on price. 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.
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 | $9/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 | No | Yes |
| A/B Testing | No | Yes |
| Landing Pages | No | Yes |
| Segmentation | Yes | Yes |
| Drag & Drop Editor | No | Yes |
| SMS Marketing | No | Yes |
| Ecommerce Features | Yes | No |
| API Access | Yes | Yes |
| Multi-Language | Yes | Yes |
| Web Push Notifications | No | No |
| Live Chat | No | No |
| Advanced Analytics | Yes | Yes |
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 | $9/mo |
| Deliverability | 25% | 95% Winner | 88% |
| Rating | 25% | 4.1/5 Winner | 4/5 |
| Integrations | 10% | 1000 Winner | 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 need SMS marketing
- + You need marketing automation
- + You need built-in landing pages
- + You need A/B testing