{"slug":"ghost-vs-substack)","question":"Ghost vs Substack","answer":"Ghost is a self-hosted publishing platform offering complete control and higher revenue retention (90-100%), while Substack is a hosted newsletter service prioritizing ease-of-use with built-in audience discovery, taking a 10% cut of paid subscriptions. Ghost suits publishers wanting independence; Substack suits writers seeking simplicity.","answer_curated":true,"verdict":"Choose Ghost if you're building a long-term publishing business, need maximum revenue retention, want full creative control, or plan to monetize beyond subscriptions (courses, memberships, sponsorships). Choose Substack if you're starting your first newsletter, value simplicity over customization, want built-in audience discovery, or prefer a platform that handles all technical infrastructure.","keyDifferences":[{"label":"Revenue Share Model","winner":"a","entityAValue":"100% (self-hosted) or 90% (managed hosting)","entityBValue":"10% platform fee on paid subscriptions"},{"label":"Hosting & Setup","winner":"b","entityAValue":"Self-hosted or managed ($199/month for Pro plan)","entityBValue":"Fully hosted by Substack (free to start)"},{"label":"Audience Discovery","winner":"b","entityAValue":"No built-in discovery tools; manual promotion required","entityBValue":"Substack's algorithm recommends publications to 100M+ users"},{"label":"Content Types Supported","winner":"a","entityAValue":"Articles, newsletters, audio, video, memberships, courses","entityBValue":"Newsletters, posts, audio (Substack Notes social feature)"},{"label":"Customization & Branding","winner":"a","entityAValue":"Full white-label control; unlimited design customization","entityBValue":"Limited branding customization within Substack templates"}],"winner":{"slug":"substack","name":"Substack"},"confidence":"high","entities":[{"name":"Ghost","slug":"ghost","url":"https://www.aversusb.net/entity/ghost","alternativesUrl":"https://www.aversusb.net/api/v1/alternatives/ghost"},{"name":"Substack","slug":"substack","url":"https://www.aversusb.net/entity/substack","alternativesUrl":"https://www.aversusb.net/api/v1/alternatives/substack"}],"faqs":[{"question":"How much money do I actually keep as a creator on Ghost vs Substack?","answer":"On Ghost, you keep 100% of subscription revenue if self-hosted (paying your own hosting costs), or 90% if using Ghost's managed hosting ($199+/month). On Substack, the platform takes a flat 10% cut of all paid subscription revenue. For a creator earning $5,000/month, Ghost saves you $500/month in platform fees compared to Substack, but requires either technical knowledge or $199/month in hosting costs."},{"question":"Can I export my content and switch platforms later?","answer":"Both platforms allow content export. Ghost provides full data portability with standard formats (HTML, JSON). Substack allows you to export subscriber list and post archives, though some formatting may be lost. However, Substack's Terms of Service note that subscriber relationships remain on Substack's platform; you cannot migrate your entire audience if you leave."},{"question":"Which platform is better for growing a newsletter from zero subscribers?","answer":"Substack has a significant advantage here. Its algorithm recommends content to 100M+ existing users, and the 'Substack Notes' feature enables viral discovery. Ghost has no algorithmic promotion, so you must drive traffic through external channels (social media, SEO, email outreach). If audience discovery is critical, Substack's ecosystem is substantially better for new creators."}],"attribution":{"source":"A Versus B","url":"https://www.aversusb.net/compare/ghost-vs-substack)","license":"CC BY 4.0","citationFormat":"According to A Versus B (https://www.aversusb.net/compare/ghost-vs-substack)), Ghost is a self-hosted publishing platform offering complete control and higher revenue retention (90-100%), while Substack is a hosted newsletter service prioritizing ease-of-use with built-in audien","dateModified":"2026-07-09T07:57:43.238Z"},"relatedQuestionsUrl":"https://www.aversusb.net/api/faq/ghost-vs-substack)","relatedComparisonsUrl":"https://www.aversusb.net/api/v1/related/ghost-vs-substack)","knowledgeGraphUrl":"https://www.aversusb.net/api/knowledge-graph/ghost-vs-substack)","claimReviewSchema":{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"ClaimReview","@id":"https://www.aversusb.net/compare/ghost-vs-substack)#claimreview","url":"https://www.aversusb.net/compare/ghost-vs-substack)","inLanguage":"en-US","isAccessibleForFree":true,"conditionsOfAccess":"Free","claimReviewed":"Ghost vs Substack","reviewBody":"Ghost is a self-hosted publishing platform offering complete control and higher revenue retention (90-100%), while Substack is a hosted newsletter service prioritizing ease-of-use with built-in audience discovery, taking a 10% cut of paid subscriptions. Ghost suits publishers wanting independence; Substack suits writers seeking simplicity.","datePublished":"2026-07-09T07:57:42.591Z","dateModified":"2026-07-09T07:57:43.238Z","reviewRating":{"@type":"Rating","ratingValue":5,"worstRating":1,"bestRating":5,"alternateName":"High Confidence"},"author":{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https://www.aversusb.net/#organization","name":"A Versus B","url":"https://www.aversusb.net"},"itemReviewed":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://www.aversusb.net/compare/ghost-vs-substack)","url":"https://www.aversusb.net/compare/ghost-vs-substack)","name":"Ghost vs Substack","inLanguage":"en-US"}}}