The 3 best Ghost alternatives
Short answer
The best Ghost alternatives are beehiiv, Substack, ConvertKit. beehiiv is our top pick — it scores 9.2/10 and is best for Newsletter-first creators. The right choice depends on your budget, team size, and which features matter most.
Why look for a Ghost alternative?
Ghost scores 8.5/10 in our review and works well for many teams — but it is not the right fit for everyone. The most common reasons readers look elsewhere:
- ✗More technical than Substack or beehiiv to set up
- ✗Self-hosting requires managing server and updates
- ✗Ghost(Pro) managed hosting adds a monthly cost
- ✗No built-in creator discovery or referral growth tools
Ghost alternatives, ranked
beehiiv
Top pickThe newsletter platform built for growth
beehiiv is a newsletter platform built by ex-Morning Brew engineers. It combines newsletter publishing, subscriber management, monetization (paid subscriptions, boosts, ad network), and basic website hosting in one tool. The growth infrastructure — referral programs, recommendations, segmentation — is unmatched at any price.
Strengths
- ✓Best-in-class growth tools (referral program, boosts, recommendations)
- ✓Built-in ad network for monetization
- ✓Generous free tier up to 2,500 subscribers
Best for
- →Newsletter-first creators
- →Creators wanting audience monetization built in
- →Anyone coming from Substack wanting more control
Substack
Start a newsletter, build a paid subscription
Substack is the simplest way to start a newsletter and charge for subscriptions. No monthly fee — Substack takes 10% of paid subscription revenue. Best for writers who want minimal setup and built-in discovery through the Substack network.
Strengths
- ✓Absolute easiest setup — live in minutes
- ✓Built-in paid subscription model
- ✓Discovery through Substack network
Best for
- →Writers starting a paid newsletter with minimal tech
- →Creators wanting built-in Substack audience discovery
ConvertKit
Email marketing built for creators
ConvertKit (now rebranding to Kit) is the most creator-focused email marketing platform. It excels at automations, segmentation, and selling digital products directly from email. The visual automation builder is powerful and beginner-friendly. ConvertKit has the deepest integration ecosystem for creators — connecting to Teachable, Gumroad, Shopify, and dozens of other creator tools.
Strengths
- ✓Excellent visual automation builder
- ✓Best integrations ecosystem for creators
- ✓Sell digital products and subscriptions natively
Best for
- →Creators with complex email automations
- →Anyone selling multiple digital products
- →Creators deeply integrated with other tools
Ghost vs. the alternatives
| Tool | Score | Starting price | Free plan | Ease of use |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ghost(current) | 8.5/10 | — | Yes | 7.5/10 |
| beehiiv | 9.2/10 | — | Yes | 8.5/10 |
| Substack | 7.8/10 | — | Yes | 9.5/10 |
| ConvertKit | 8.8/10 | — | Yes | 8/10 |
Ghost alternatives — FAQ
What is the best Ghost alternative?
beehiiv is our top-rated Ghost alternative, scoring 9.2/10. It is best for Newsletter-first creators.
Is there a free Ghost alternative?
Yes — beehiiv, Substack, ConvertKit offer a free plan you can use to evaluate the tool before paying.