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Substack vs Ghost: cost and features compared (2026)
Last verified against official pricing pages · USD, monthly billing, excluding tax
Prices change often. Every price here was checked against the platform's official pricing page on the date shown, but plans, promos and taxes vary. Always confirm on the official site before you buy or switch. Not financial advice.
Quick answer
- Basic newsletter: Substack is cheaper at every size we checked.
- With automations: neither platform offers this in our verified data.
- Paid newsletter: Ghost is cheaper at every size we checked.
Cost at 1k, 5k, 10k and 25k subscribers
Basic newsletter (no automations)
| Subscribers | Substack | Ghost | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1,000 | $0 (Free + 10% of paid revenue) | $18 (Starter) | Substack by $18/mo |
| 5,000 | $0 (Free + 10% of paid revenue) | $75 (Publisher) | Substack by $75/mo |
| 10,000 | $0 (Free + 10% of paid revenue) | $105 (Publisher) | Substack by $105/mo |
| 25,000 | $0 (Free + 10% of paid revenue) | $169 (Publisher) | Substack by $169/mo |
With automations (welcome sequences, drips)
| Subscribers | Substack | Ghost | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1,000 | n/a | n/a | neither |
| 5,000 | n/a | n/a | neither |
| 10,000 | n/a | n/a | neither |
| 25,000 | n/a | n/a | neither |
Substack and Ghost have no native automation builder in our data, so that scenario shows n/a.
Paid newsletter (5% of subscribers pay $8/mo)
| Subscribers | Substack | Ghost | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1,000 | $66.60 (Free + 10% of paid revenue) | $61.60 (Publisher) | Ghost by $5/mo |
| 5,000 | $333 (Free + 10% of paid revenue) | $208 (Publisher) | Ghost by $125/mo |
| 10,000 | $666 (Free + 10% of paid revenue) | $371 (Publisher) | Ghost by $295/mo |
| 25,000 | $1,665 (Free + 10% of paid revenue) | $834 (Publisher) | Ghost by $831/mo |
Switching? Substack → Ghost cost · Ghost → Substack cost · Best platform for your needs
Cheapest plan on each platform that covers the list size and required features. Paid-newsletter totals include the plan, any platform cut and estimated card processing (Stripe 2.9% + $0.30 per payment; Kit's all-in fee instead). "limited" = feature is capped on that plan. Run your exact numbers →
Key differences
| Substack | Ghost | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | free at any size | no free plan |
| Fee on paid subscriptions | 10% platform cut + Stripe fees | 0% platform cut + Stripe fees |
| Cheapest plan with automations | not available | not available |
| Cheapest plan with own domain | Free + 10% of paid revenue (free) + $50 one-time | Starter (from $18/mo) |
| Cheapest plan without platform branding | not available | Starter (from $18/mo) |
| Plans | Free + 10% of paid revenue | Starter, Publisher, Business |
| Prices verified | 2026-10-20 | 2026-10-20 |
Who each is best for
Substack is best for
Writers starting from zero who want $0 upfront cost and Substack's built-in network, and are fine giving up 10% of paid revenue.
Ghost is best for
Publishers who want a full website and membership business on their own domain, with 0% platform fees and the option to self-host.
- No free hosted plan; Starter is capped at 1,000 members and does not include paid subscriptions. source
- 0% Ghost transaction fees on Publisher and above; Stripe fees apply. source
- Ghost is open-source software, so you can also self-host it instead of paying for Ghost(Pro). source
- No drip/automation builder is listed on the Ghost(Pro) pricing page. source
FAQ
Is Substack cheaper than Ghost?
It depends on your list and needs. In our data (monthly billing, 1,000 / 5,000 / 10,000 / 25,000 subscribers): basic newsletter — Substack is cheaper at every size we checked. With automations — neither platform offers this in our verified data. Paid newsletter — Ghost is cheaper at every size we checked. Prices verified 2026-10-20.
Which has the bigger free plan, Substack or Ghost?
Substack: free at any size. Ghost: no free plan. Free plans have feature limits — see the comparison table.
Do Substack and Ghost take a cut of paid subscriptions?
Substack: 10% platform cut + Stripe fees. Ghost: 0% platform cut + Stripe fees.
What do Substack and Ghost cost at 10,000 subscribers?
On monthly billing, a basic newsletter costs $0/mo on Substack Free + 10% of paid revenue and $105/mo on Ghost Publisher. With automations: n/a on Substack vs n/a on Ghost.
Sources
- Substack pricing (checked 2026-10-20)
- Substack: substack.com
- Ghost pricing (checked 2026-10-20)
- Ghost: ghost.org/
- Stripe pricing (card-fee estimate)
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