beehiiv vs Ghost
Ghost has no free plan but gives you full ownership — here's the actual trade-off.
beehiiv and Ghost both let you run a full publication with paid subscriptions, but they come from very different philosophies: beehiiv is a closed, proprietary SaaS platform, while Ghost is open-source and can even be self-hosted if you want complete control.
| beehiiv | Ghost | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Up to 2,500 subscribers, full features | None — paid only, from $15–$29/month |
| Cut of paid subscription revenue | 0% — you keep it all (minus Stripe fees) | 0% — you keep it all (minus Stripe fees) |
| Platform type | Closed, proprietary SaaS | Open-source, can be self-hosted |
| Best suited for | Starting free and growing with built-in tools | Publishers who want full ownership and portability from day one |
Both charge 0% on subscription revenue, so that part is a wash. The real choice is about ownership and starting cost: Ghost suits publishers who want full control (and are willing to self-host or pay from day one), while beehiiv suits those who'd rather start completely free and get built-in growth tools without managing a CMS.
Frequently asked questions
Can I really self-host Ghost for free?
Yes — Ghost's core software is open-source and can be self-hosted on your own server, though you'll need to handle hosting, updates and maintenance yourself instead of paying Ghost(Pro) to do it.
Does Ghost work well for a newsletter-only publication?
Yes, though Ghost is built more like a full CMS/blog with an integrated newsletter, while beehiiv is built newsletter-first with the website as a secondary feature.