Substack vs Ghost
Substack and Ghost both power newsletters and paid memberships, but with opposite philosophies. Substack is fully hosted and effortless, taking a 10% cut, while Ghost is open-source with no platform cut but more setup. The right pick hinges on how much control and technical work you want.
Quick answer
Substack is the effortless hosted choice but keeps 10% of paid subscriptions, while Ghost takes no cut and gives you full ownership at the price of hosting costs and more setup. Pick Substack for speed, Ghost for control. If you want to sell products, bookings and tickets — not just newsletters — from one link and keep 100% of sales, OneSol is a free all-in-one alternative that pays out to your own Stripe.
Substack vs Ghost at a glance
| Feature | Substack | Ghost |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Free | Self-host free |
| Hosting | Hosted | Self or Ghost(Pro) |
| Cut of sales | 10% on paid | No cut |
| Own-account payouts | Own Stripe | Own Stripe |
| Memberships | Yes | Yes |
| Customization | Limited | Full |
| Ease of use | Very easy | Technical |
Competitor features and pricing can change — check their current plans before deciding.
1. Who Substack is best for
Substack is best for writers who want zero setup: a hosted newsletter with paid subscriptions, discovery and an app, free until you charge readers. The trade-off is a 10% cut of paid subscription revenue and limited control over design and data. It's publishing made effortless.
2. Who Ghost is best for
Ghost suits publishers and developers who want full ownership — a blog, newsletter and memberships with no platform cut on subscriptions. You can self-host the open-source software for free or pay for managed Ghost(Pro) hosting to skip the technical work. It's more flexible but more hands-on than Substack.
3. The cost that's easy to miss
Substack looks free but the 10% cut compounds as your paid list grows. Ghost takes no cut, yet self-hosting means server, email-delivery and maintenance costs, while Ghost(Pro) is a monthly fee. Neither is a full storefront for products, tickets or bookings.
The verdict
OneSol lets you do more than publish: sell downloads and merch, run forms, take bookings and sell tickets, all from one link. Payouts go to your own Stripe account and OneSol takes no cut, so you keep 100% of sales — free to start, no tech skills needed.
FAQ
Does Ghost really take no cut like Substack?
Ghost charges 0% platform fees on subscriptions — you only pay Stripe's processing fee — whereas Substack keeps 10% of paid subscriptions. But Ghost has its own hosting or Ghost(Pro) costs to weigh.
Which is easier to start with?
Substack is the easiest — sign up and publish. Ghost(Pro) is fairly simple too, but self-hosting Ghost is technical and needs ongoing maintenance.
Do I own my audience on each?
Both let you export your subscriber list, and Ghost gives you more control over your data and site. Substack is more locked into its ecosystem and app.
Is there a free all-in-one alternative?
Yes — OneSol is free and lets you sell products, run forms, take bookings and collect emails from one link, with payouts to your own Stripe so you keep 100% of sales (only Stripe's fee applies).