Home › Guides › Substack vs beehiiv vs Ghost
Substack vs beehiiv vs Ghost: real cost at 1k, 10k and 50k subscribers
Last verified against official pricing pages · published 20 Oct 2026
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.
Substack charges nothing up front and takes 10% of paid subscription revenue. beehiiv and Ghost(Pro) charge a monthly fee based on list size and take 0%. Which is cheaper depends on your list size and how much you earn.
Free newsletter (no paid subscriptions)
| Subscribers | Substack | beehiiv | Ghost(Pro) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1,000 | $0 (Free + 10% of paid revenue) | $0 (Free) | $18 (Starter) |
| 10,000 | $0 (Free + 10% of paid revenue) | $139 (Lite) | $105 (Publisher) |
| 50,000 | $0 (Free + 10% of paid revenue) | $299 (Lite) | $249 (Publisher) |
Monthly billing, cheapest plan that covers the list. beehiiv Free covers 2,500 subscribers; Ghost has no free hosted plan and Starter covers 1,000 members.
Paid newsletter (5% of subscribers paying $8/month)
| Subscribers | Substack | beehiiv | Ghost(Pro) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1,000 (50 paid, $400/mo revenue) | $66.60 Free + 10% of paid revenue; keep $333.40 | $85.60 Lite; keep $314.40 | $61.60 Publisher; keep $338.40 |
| 10,000 (500 paid, $4,000/mo revenue) | $666 Free + 10% of paid revenue; keep $3,334 | $405 Lite; keep $3,595 | $371 Publisher; keep $3,629 |
| 50,000 (2,500 paid, $20,000/mo revenue) | $3,330 Free + 10% of paid revenue; keep $16,670 | $1,629 Lite; keep $18,371 | $1,579 Publisher; keep $18,421 |
Total = plan + platform cut + estimated Stripe card fees (2.9% + $0.30 per monthly payment). Substack also documents a 0.7% Stripe Billing fee on recurring payments, not included here because it may apply on other platforms too. "Keep" = revenue minus total.
How to read this
- Small free newsletters: Substack and beehiiv Free cost nothing; Ghost starts at $18/month but includes your own domain and no platform branding.
- Paid newsletters: Substack's 10% overtakes a flat fee as revenue grows. Break-even ≈ monthly plan price × 10 in paid revenue.
- Beyond price: Substack has a built-in discovery network and app; beehiiv bundles an ad network and growth tools; Ghost is open source and you can self-host.
Sources: Substack: How much does Substack cost?, beehiiv pricing, Ghost pricing. Try your own numbers →
FAQ
Is Substack cheaper than beehiiv?
For free newsletters, yes — Substack costs $0 at any size. For paid newsletters it depends on revenue: Substack's 10% cut grows with revenue, while beehiiv and Ghost charge a fixed monthly fee by list size.
When does a flat-fee platform beat Substack's 10%?
When 10% of your paid revenue exceeds the platform's monthly fee. At 10,000 subscribers beehiiv Lite is $139/month (monthly billing), so beehiiv becomes cheaper once paid revenue passes about $1,390/month (processing fees are similar on both).
Does Ghost take a cut of paid subscriptions?
No. Ghost(Pro) charges 0% transaction fees on Publisher and Business plans; Stripe fees apply. Paid subscriptions are not available on the Starter plan.
Related: beehiiv price increase 2026 · Moving from beehiiv to Kit · Moving from beehiiv to MailerLite
Comparisons: beehiiv vs Substack · Substack vs Ghost · Cheapest for 1,000, 5,000, 10,000 subscribers
Get notified when newsletter platform prices change
Occasional emails, only when something changes. Unsubscribe anytime. What you get →