Mailchimp
Intuit Mailchimp
6
Overall Score / 10
Ghost
Ghost Foundation
7.3
Overall Score / 10
Our Verdict
Choose Mailchimp if:
- —Small businesses starting email marketing
- —E-commerce stores needing built-in product recommendations
- —Teams wanting an all-in-one marketing suite
Choose Ghost if:
- —Professional publishers who want full ownership
- —Developers who want a customizable open-source platform
- —Creators who want memberships without a revenue cut
The biggest difference: Mailchimp is better for traditional email marketing with drag-and-drop templates and e-commerce integrations. Ghost is better for independent publishers wanting full ownership, custom themes, and membership revenue with zero platform fees.
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Criteria | Mailchimp | Ghost |
|---|---|---|
| Cheapest Paid Plan | $13/mo (Essentials)Source: Intuit Mailchimp pricing page → | $18/mo (Starter)Source: Ghost Foundation pricing page → |
| Free Tier | Yes Up to 250 contacts, 500 emails/month, 1 audience, basic templates, limited reporting | No No free tier. Ghost(Pro) starts at $15/mo billed annually. Self-hosted Ghost is free and open source. |
| Value for Money | 5 | 8 |
| Ease of Use | 7 | 6 |
| Feature Power | 8 | 7 |
| Setup Ease | 8 | 5 |
| Migration Ease | 5 | 5 |
| Transparency | 4 | 10 |
| Deployment | cloud | hybrid |
| API Available | Yes | Yes |
| Platforms | Web, iOS, Android | Web |
| Compliance | GDPR tools available, SOC 2 | GDPR (self-hosted: full control) |
Feature Comparison
Feature Comparison Matrix
19 features compared · 18 differences
| Feature | Mailchimp | Ghost |
|---|---|---|
| Core | ||
| Content optimizer | Full | None |
| Landing pages | Full | None |
| Native memberships & subscriptions | None | Full |
| Newsletter delivery | None | Full |
| Open source | None | Full |
| Postcards | Full | None |
| Powerful editor | None | Full |
| Self-hostable | None | Full |
| SEO built-in | None | Full |
| Stripe-native payments | None | Full |
| Advanced | ||
| A/B testing | Full | None |
| Audience segmentation | Full | None |
| Automation workflows | Full | None |
| Custom themes | None | Full |
| Customer journey builder | Full | None |
| Email campaigns | Full | None |
| Reporting dashboards | Full | None |
| Integrations | ||
| Integrations via Zapier/webhooks | Full | Full |
| Security | ||
| Social posting | Full | None |
Pricing Comparison
Mailchimp Pricing
250 contacts, 500 sends/mo, limited automations
500 contacts, 5,000 sends/mo, email + chat support
500 contacts, 6,000 sends/mo, advanced automations
10,000 contacts, 150,000 sends/mo, phone support
Ghost Pricing
1,000 members, 1 staff user, basic features
Unlimited members, 3 staff, paid subscriptions, custom themes, newsletters
Unlimited members, unlimited staff, priority support, advanced integrations
Who Should Choose Which?
Who should choose Mailchimp
Best for
- Small businesses starting email marketing
- E-commerce stores needing built-in product recommendations
- Teams wanting an all-in-one marketing suite
Avoid if
- You need affordable pricing as your list grows (costs scale steeply)
- You want a clean, simple interface (Mailchimp has become complex)
- You prioritize deliverability above all else
Who should choose Ghost
Best for
- Professional publishers who want full ownership
- Developers who want a customizable open-source platform
- Creators who want memberships without a revenue cut
Avoid if
- You want the simplest setup possible
- You need marketing automation
- You're not comfortable with some technical setup
Switching Guidance
Switching from Mailchimp
Common triggers to leave:
- •Pricing jumps at 500+ contacts
- •Feature bloat
- •Deliverability concerns
Potential blockers:
- •Complex automation workflows
- •Integrated e-commerce features
- •Team familiarity
Switching from Ghost
Common triggers to leave:
- •Need marketing automation
- •Need simpler setup
- •Need mobile app for readers
Potential blockers:
- •Custom theme investment
- •Self-hosted infrastructure
- •Member/subscriber data
Try Mailchimp
Start free — no credit card required
Try Ghost
Plans from $18/mo