Side-by-Side Pricing
| Plan | beehiiv | Ghost (Pro) |
|---|---|---|
| Free / Entry | Launch $0 — 2,500 subs, unlimited sends, custom domain | Starter $18/mo ($180/yr) — 1,000 members, 1 staff user |
| Growth | Scale $49/mo ($516/yr) — Unlimited subs, ad network, referrals | Publisher $35/mo ($348/yr) — Unlimited members, 3 staff, paid subs |
| Premium | Max $109/mo ($1,152/yr) — Priority support, API, newsroom | Business $239/mo ($2,388/yr) — Unlimited staff, priority support |
| Self-hosted | Not available | Free — open source, host on your own server |
Ghost can be self-hosted for free (server costs ~$5–20/mo). beehiiv is cloud-only. Ghost charges 0% platform fee on membership revenue; beehiiv's ad network takes a percentage of ad revenue.
Feature Comparison
| Feature | beehiiv | Ghost |
|---|---|---|
| Free tier | Yes — 2,500 subscribers | No (self-host free, or $18/mo managed) |
| Built-in ad network | Yes — Boost / ad marketplace | No |
| Referral program | Built-in | Not built-in (use SparkLoop) |
| Paid memberships | Yes (Stripe integration) | Yes — native, 0% platform fee |
| Custom themes | Limited customization | Full custom themes (Handlebars) |
| Open source | No | Yes — MIT license |
| SEO | Basic (website builder) | Excellent — built-in, optimized |
| Website builder | Yes — simple, newsletter-focused | Yes — full publishing platform |
Decision Framework
Choose beehiiv if:
- ✓You want to grow a newsletter with built-in viral tools
- ✓Ad revenue monetization is part of your strategy
- ✓You want free to start (2,500 subscribers)
- ✓You're a newsletter-first business, not a blog/publication
Choose Ghost if:
- ✓Full data ownership and open source matter
- ✓You want custom themes and full design control
- ✓Membership revenue is your primary business model
- ✓You're building a publication, not just a newsletter
What beehiiv Does Better
Growth tools. Built-in referral program, recommendations, and ad network (Boosts). These are purpose-built for newsletter growth and monetization. Ghost has no equivalent viral growth mechanics.
Free tier. beehiiv Launch gives you 2,500 subscribers with unlimited sends, custom domain, and a website — all for $0. Ghost has no free managed option (self-hosting requires technical skills).
What Ghost Does Better
Publishing platform. Ghost is a complete publishing platform with custom themes, SEO optimization, membership tiers, and a powerful editor. It's designed for professional publications, not just newsletters.
Data ownership. Open source with self-hosting option. Your content, subscriber data, and membership revenue are fully under your control. No platform risk, no vendor lock-in. Ghost takes 0% of your membership revenue.
Annual Cost at Three Subscriber Counts
| Subscribers | beehiiv | Ghost (Pro) |
|---|---|---|
| 2,500 | $0/yr (Launch free) | $180/yr (Starter) |
| 10,000 | $516/yr (Scale) | $348/yr (Publisher) |
| 50,000 | $1,152/yr (Max) | $348/yr (Publisher, unlimited members) |
Ghost Publisher has unlimited members at $348/yr. beehiiv Scale has unlimited subscribers at $516/yr. Ghost self-hosted is ~$60–240/yr in hosting costs.
Migration Between the Two
beehiiv to Ghost
Effort: Medium. Export subscribers as CSV, import to Ghost. Content needs to be migrated manually or via API. What breaks: beehiiv's referral program data, ad network setup, and website builder configuration.
Ghost to beehiiv
Effort: Medium. Ghost exports content as JSON and subscribers as CSV. What breaks: Custom themes, membership tiers (must be recreated), and SEO URLs (redirects needed).
Common Mistakes When Choosing
Choosing Ghost without technical comfort
Ghost Pro (managed) is straightforward, but self-hosting requires server management. Custom themes require Handlebars templating knowledge. If you want plug-and-play, beehiiv is simpler.
Ignoring beehiiv's ad revenue potential
beehiiv's Boost network can generate meaningful ad revenue that offsets or exceeds the subscription cost. For newsletters with 5,000+ subscribers, the ad network alone can pay for the Scale plan.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I self-host beehiiv?
No. beehiiv is cloud-only. Ghost is open source and can be self-hosted for free on your own server, giving you full data control.
Does Ghost take a cut of membership revenue?
No. Ghost charges 0% platform fee on membership revenue. You only pay Stripe's payment processing fees (2.9% + $0.30). This is a major advantage for publishers with significant paid subscriber revenue.
Which is better for SEO?
Ghost. It's a full publishing platform with built-in SEO, structured data, clean URLs, and fast page loads. beehiiv's website builder is adequate but not designed as an SEO-first platform.
What about Substack?
Substack takes 10% of paid subscription revenue. beehiiv and Ghost both offer better economics — beehiiv with growth tools, Ghost with zero platform fees. Substack's advantage is simplicity and built-in network discovery.
Which scales better?
Both scale well. Ghost Publisher handles unlimited members at a fixed price. beehiiv Scale handles unlimited subscribers. For very large publications (100K+ subscribers), Ghost self-hosted gives you the most control and lowest costs.
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