Ghost vs Sender
Ghost is a newsletter platform while Sender is a email marketing platform. Sender is the more affordable option at $10/mo, which is $8 less than Ghost's $18/mo entry point. Both offer free plans to get started. Ghost stands out with advanced analytics, while Sender offers marketing automation and A/B testing.
Quick Verdict
Ghost wins on integrations.
Sender wins on price, deliverability, rating.
Best for most users: Sender (small businesses).
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.
Sender
Affordable email and SMS marketing
Sender offers one of the most generous free plans in email marketing, combined with built-in SMS capabilities. It's an excellent choice for budget-conscious businesses that need both email and SMS marketing without breaking the bank.
Feature Comparison
| Feature | Ghost | Sender |
|---|---|---|
| Rating | 4.1/5 | 4.7/5 |
| Starting Price | $18/mo | $10/mo |
| Free Plan | Self-hosted open-source version is completely free; no free tier on Ghost(Pro) | 2,500 subscribers |
| Founded | 2013 | 2012 |
| Email Templates | 50 | 50 |
| Integrations | 1,000 | 50 |
| Deliverability Rate | 95% | 97% |
| 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 | Yes |
| API Access | Yes | Yes |
| Multi-Language | Yes | Yes |
| Web Push Notifications | No | No |
| Live Chat | No | Yes |
| Advanced Analytics | Yes | No |
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
Sender: Pros & Cons
Pros
- + Extremely generous free plan (2,500 subs, 15,000 emails)
- + Built-in SMS marketing on all plans
- + Very affordable paid plans
- + Ecommerce integrations for abandoned cart
- + No credit card required for free plan
Cons
- − No A/B testing
- − No landing page builder
- − Smaller integration ecosystem
- − Less well-known brand
- − Limited advanced features
The Verdict
Sender edges ahead with a 4.7/5 rating compared to Ghost's 4.1/5. The gap comes mainly from ease of use (4.8 vs 3.9) and support (4.8 vs 3.9). On deliverability, Sender reports 97% compared to 95% for Ghost — a meaningful difference if inbox placement is critical for your campaigns.
| Criterion | Weight | Ghost | Sender |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starting Price | 30% | $18/mo | $10/mo Winner |
| Deliverability | 25% | 95% | 97% Winner |
| Rating | 25% | 4.1/5 | 4.7/5 Winner |
| Integrations | 10% | 1000 Winner | 50 |
| Free Tier | 10% | Yes | Yes |
Weights determine how much each criterion counts toward the final score. See full methodology
Choose Ghost if…
- + You need advanced analytics
- + You're a independent publishers and bloggers
- + You're a newsletter creators who want zero platform fees
Choose Sender if…
- + You want lower starting costs ($10/mo)
- + You need SMS marketing
- + You need marketing automation
- + You need built-in landing pages