Ghost vs Sendy
Ghost is a newsletter platform while Sendy is a email marketing platform. Ghost starts at $18/mo, while Sendy starts at $69 one-time. Their pricing is not measured the same way, so we don't rank them on price. Ghost offers a free plan (Self-hosted open-source version is completely free; no free tier on Ghost(Pro)), while Sendy does not. Ghost stands out with ecommerce integrations and advanced analytics, while Sendy offers marketing automation.
Quick Verdict
Ghost wins on integrations, free tier.
Sendy wins on rating.
Best for most users: Sendy (cost conscious email marketers with large lists).
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.
Sendy
Self-hosted email marketing that sends via Amazon SES at 100x lower cost
Sendy is a self-hosted email newsletter application that connects to Amazon SES to deliver emails at a fraction of the cost of traditional email marketing platforms. With a one-time $69 license and SES sending costs of roughly $1 per 10,000 emails, it is ideal for high-volume senders who want to avoid recurring subscription fees. It requires technical setup but offers unlimited subscribers, autoresponders, segmentation, and full data ownership.
Feature Comparison
| Feature | Ghost | Sendy |
|---|---|---|
| Rating | 4.1/5 | 4.2/5 |
| Starting Price | $18/mo | $69 |
| Free Plan | Self-hosted open-source version is completely free; no free tier on Ghost(Pro) | No free plan |
| Founded | 2013 | 2012 |
| Email Templates | 50 | 0 |
| Integrations | 1,000 | 20 |
| Deliverability Rate | 95% | 95% |
| Marketing Automation | No | Yes |
| A/B Testing | No | No |
| Landing Pages | No | No |
| Segmentation | Yes | Yes |
| Drag & Drop Editor | No | No |
| SMS Marketing | No | No |
| Ecommerce Features | Yes | No |
| API Access | Yes | Yes |
| Multi-Language | Yes | No |
| Web Push Notifications | No | No |
| Live Chat | No | No |
| 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
Sendy: Pros & Cons
Pros
- + Extreme cost savings: a one-time $69 license, with Amazon SES sending from $0.10 per 1,000 emails
- + Unlimited subscribers with no tier-based pricing that punishes list growth
- + Full data ownership and privacy since everything is self-hosted on your own server
- + Clean, focused interface without bloated features — does exactly what it promises
- + White-label multi-brand support allows managing multiple client accounts from one install
Cons
- − Requires technical skills for server setup, installation, and ongoing maintenance
- − No built-in A/B testing, landing page builder, or advanced automation workflows
- − UI feels dated and lacks modern design polish compared to SaaS competitors
- − Limited customer support — solo developer product with slow response times reported
- − No drag-and-drop email editor; requires HTML knowledge for custom templates
The Verdict
Ghost and Sendy 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.
| Criterion | Weight | Ghost | Sendy |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starting Price | 30% | $18/mo | $69 |
| Deliverability | 25% | 95% | 95% |
| Rating | 25% | 4.1/5 | 4.2/5 Winner |
| Integrations | 10% | 1000 Winner | 20 |
| Free Tier | 10% | Yes Winner | No |
Weights determine how much each criterion counts toward the final score. See full methodology
Choose Ghost if…
- + You need a free plan to get started
- + You need ecommerce integrations
- + You need advanced analytics
- + You're a independent publishers and bloggers
Choose Sendy if…
- + You need marketing automation
- + You're a cost conscious email marketers with large lists
- + You're a technical users comfortable with self hosting and server management