Head-to-head · Newsletter Publishing Platforms
beehiiv vs Ghost
beehiiv leads on 1 check, Ghost on 1, and 1 is even. Who comes out ahead on the 3 yes/no, price and count checks where we have data for both products. The editor score weighs everything else too.
Our verdict
- Highest scorebeehiiv · 9.1/10
- Lowest starting priceGhost · $18/mo
- Free planonly beehiiv
- Free trialonly Ghost
- Most featuresGhost · 1 of 2
beehiiv scores higher on our rubric for newsletter publishing platforms: 9.1 against 9.0 out of 10; our editors rank them #2 and #3.
beehiiv offers free plan; Ghost doesn't. Ghost is cheaper to start at $18/mo against $43/mo.
beehiiv is the better fit for newsletters needing analytics and monetization. Ghost is the better fit for publishers wanting an owned site and newsletter.
- beehiiv fits best
Newsletters needing analytics and monetization
- Ghost fits best
Publishers wanting an owned site and newsletter
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Side by side
| Feature | beehiiv 9.1/10 Visit ↗ | Ghost 9.0/10 Visit ↗ |
|---|---|---|
| At a glance | ||
| Editor score | 9.1 | 9.0 |
| Ranking | #2 in Newsletter Publishing Platforms | #3 in Newsletter Publishing Platforms |
| Best for | Newsletters needing analytics and monetization | Publishers wanting an owned site and newsletter |
| Pricing model | Free plan + paid | Paid |
| Starting price | $43/mo | $18/mo (best) |
| Free plan | ✓ (best) | — |
| Free trial | — | 14 days |
| Deployment | Cloud | Cloud, Self-hosted |
| Platforms | Web | Web |
| Support | Tickets, Community, Docs | Email, Community, Docs |
| Compliance | SOC 2, GDPR, 2FA | 2FA |
| Integrations | 1,000+ integrations | 8,000+ integrations |
| Built for | Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise | Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise |
| Features beehiiv 0/2 · Ghost 1/2 | ||
| Paid subscriptions | Not checked yet | Not checked yet |
| Custom domain | Not checked yet | ✓ (best) |
| Specs | ||
| Free audience limit | Not checked yet | Not checked yet |
| Publishing channels | Not checked yet | Not checked yet |
| Platform fee on paid subs | Not checked yet | 0% Ghost fee; payment processor fees apply |
| Our review | ||
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| Our verdict | beehiiv brings newsletter publishing together with a no-code website and landing-page builder, audience analytics, segmentation, and monetization tools. It is aimed at creators, publishers, brands, and media teams that want more than email… Read the review → |
Ghost brings website publishing, email newsletters, and memberships into one platform for independent writers, creators, publishers, and organizations. It supports free and paid memberships, protected posts for members or specific tiers,… Read the review → |
Strengths and trade-offs
beehiiv — where it wins
- Free Launch includes unlimited sends, analytics, a website, and custom domains
- Combines segmentation, automations, A/B testing, and audience analytics
- Supports paid subscriptions, advertising, digital products, and podcasts
Where it doesn't
- Scale starts at $43 per month with annual billing
- Launch excludes the Send API
- Removing beehiiv branding requires the $96-per-month Max plan
Ghost — where it wins
- Combines website publishing, newsletters, and member-only content
- Supports free and paid tiers with recurring Stripe subscriptions
- Self-hosting, APIs, and 8,000+ integrations support flexible setups
Where it doesn't
- Starter is limited to 1,000 members
- Paid plans start at $18/month, billed annually
- Paid subscriptions and custom themes begin on Publisher
- beehiiv9.1/10 · Free plan
A newsletter platform with publishing, analytics, automation, and monetization tools.
Visit beehiivFull verdict → - Ghost9.0/10 · 14-day trial
A self-hostable publishing platform that pairs newsletters with a membership site.
Visit GhostFull verdict →
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All newsletter publishing platforms comparisons → · Full ranking →
Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026
Last updated · How we research and update