Beehiiv is a newsletter platform optimized for growth and monetization with built-in referral systems and sponsorship tools, while Ghost is a modern publishing platform designed for independent creators prioritizing editorial control and membership features. Beehiiv focuses on subscriber acquisition; Ghost emphasizes content ownership and direct reader relationships.
Beehiiv vs Ghost — Side-by-side comparison on A Versus B
All-in-one newsletter platform with growth tools and monetization features built-in.
Open-source publishing platform with native memberships, paywalls, and self-hosting capabilities.
Primary Use Case. Pricing Model. Built-in Referral System. Sponsorship Marketplace. Membership/Paywall Features. Data Ownership & Portability. Content SEO & Discovery
Choose Beehiiv if you're a growth-focused creator seeking rapid subscriber acquisition, monetization through sponsorships, and built-in viral mechanics—ideal for newsletters scaling from 0 to 100K+ subscribers. Choose Ghost if you prioritize long-term content ownership, direct member relationships, SEO discoverability, and want to build an independent publishing brand with full data control and minimal platform lock-in.
Beehiiv: 0% (flat fee model) | Ghost: N/A
Beehiiv: Ads, paid subs, sponsorships, referrals, tips | Ghost: Subscriptions, memberships, ads, sponsorships
Beehiiv: Extensive templates and brand control | Ghost: N/A
Beehiiv: Emerging recommendation system | Ghost: N/A
Beehiiv: Advanced multi-stream analytics and segmentation | Ghost: N/A
Beehiiv: Zapier, Make, and native integrations available | Ghost: N/A
Beehiiv: $15/month for Pro plan | Ghost: N/A
Beehiiv: 100% of all revenue | Ghost: N/A
Beehiiv: Yes—exclusive sponsorship marketplace | Ghost: N/A
Beehiiv: Full ownership; unrestricted CSV export | Ghost: N/A
Beehiiv: Advanced tagging, conditional logic, dynamic content | Ghost: N/A
Beehiiv: Email + social cross-posting + RSS feeds | Ghost: N/A
Beehiiv: 2-3 (configure monetization and workflows) | Ghost: N/A
Beehiiv: $0 (free tier available) | Ghost: N/A
Beehiiv: Paid tiers, sponsorships, referrals | Ghost: N/A
Beehiiv: $15/month | Ghost: $29 (Ghost Pro) or $0 (self-hosted)
Beehiiv: Unlimited (free tier) | Ghost: N/A
Beehiiv: Basic content gating only | Ghost: N/A
Beehiiv: Native Beehiiv Network with $10/referral | Ghost: N/A
Beehiiv: $0 (Limited to 10,000 subscribers) | Ghost: N/A
Beehiiv: Subject lines, body copy, image generation | Ghost: N/A
Beehiiv: Yes, unlimited subscribers | Ghost: Self-hosted only
Beehiiv: 15 behavioral triggers | Ghost: N/A
Beehiiv: 4.7/5 (based on 1,200+ reviews) | Ghost: N/A
Beehiiv: Included in 10% commission | Ghost: No additional fees
Beehiiv: 8+ (opens, clicks, unsubscribes, growth, cohorts, engagement) | Ghost: N/A
Beehiiv: 2 (paid subscriptions, sponsorships) | Ghost: N/A
Beehiiv: Advanced (conditional logic, triggers, delays, A/B testing) | Ghost: Basic (simple sequences, limited conditions)
Beehiiv: Basic (5 trigger types, limited branching) | Ghost: N/A
Beehiiv: 3 (Sponsorships, Boost ads, Premium tiers) | Ghost: N/A
Beehiiv: 2 (Shopify, limited WooCommerce) | Ghost: N/A
Beehiiv: Limited (integrations only) | Ghost: N/A
Beehiiv: Basic (subscribers only) | Ghost: N/A
Beehiiv: $42 (Beehiiv Pro) | Ghost: $29 (Ghost Pro managed)
Beehiiv: Paid subscriptions, sponsorships, ads, referral program | Ghost: N/A
Beehiiv: No (Beehiiv Pro only, separate tool) | Ghost: N/A
Creator Plan Monthly Cost (Annual Billing)
Beehiiv: $75 (Creator+ plan) | Ghost: N/A
Beehiiv: Yes - fully native | Ghost: N/A
Beehiiv: Yes - subject lines, optimization | Ghost: N/A
Beehiiv: Unlimited | Ghost: None (paid plan required)
Beehiiv: Yes (viral loops, referral program, growth dashboard) | Ghost: No (manual setup required)
Beehiiv: No | Ghost: Yes (fully open-source)
Beehiiv: Yes (500+ advertisers in marketplace) | Ghost: No (custom integration required)
Beehiiv: Limited (Stripe only) | Ghost: Multiple options (Stripe, PayPal, custom)
Beehiiv: 70% (loses formatting) | Ghost: 100% (full fidelity)
Beehiiv: N/A | Ghost: Variable by creator
Beehiiv: N/A | Ghost: Advanced (meta tags, sitemaps, structured data)
Beehiiv: N/A | Ghost: Full custom themes and CSS control
Beehiiv: N/A | Ghost: Minimal, relies on external traffic
Beehiiv: N/A | Ghost: $18 (starter plan)
Beehiiv: N/A | Ghost: Built-in (native feature)
Beehiiv: N/A | Ghost: 2-3 limited options
Beehiiv: N/A | Ghost: 0% (self-hosted) or $25-333/month (managed)
Beehiiv: N/A | Ghost: 30-60 minutes plus hosting
Beehiiv: N/A | Ghost: Full creator ownership (self-hosted)
Beehiiv: N/A | Ghost: Newsletter, comments, member walls
Beehiiv: N/A | Ghost: Complete; full white-label
Beehiiv: N/A | Ghost: 2-5 days (processor dependent)
Beehiiv: N/A | Ghost: Unlimited (self-hosted limits by server)
Beehiiv: N/A | Ghost: Web-only; no native apps
Beehiiv: N/A | Ghost: Not disclosed (smaller ecosystem)
Beehiiv: N/A | Ghost: $199/year (Ghost Pro)
Beehiiv: N/A | Ghost: 9/10 (full code access)
Beehiiv: N/A | Ghost: 30-60 minutes (with setup)
Beehiiv: N/A | Ghost: 400+ (through open-source ecosystem)
Beehiiv: N/A | Ghost: 100% (creator owns all)
Average Writer Earnings (Partner Program)
Beehiiv: N/A | Ghost: Variable (unlimited potential)
Beehiiv: N/A | Ghost: 10/10 (full control)
Beehiiv: N/A | Ghost: $29 (Ghost Pro) / Free (self-hosted)
Beehiiv: N/A | Ghost: No built-in limit; integrates Stripe/PayPal
Beehiiv: N/A | Ghost: 15-20 professional themes
Beehiiv: N/A | Ghost: Native segmentation, automation, design builder
Beehiiv: N/A | Ghost: Built-in tiers, gating, paywalls, analytics
Beehiiv: N/A | Ghost: Basic XML sitemaps, structured data, redirects
Beehiiv: N/A | Ghost: 14 days for Ghost(Pro)
Beehiiv: N/A | Ghost: Scales to 1,000,000+
Beehiiv: N/A | Ghost: Yes (full tier support)
Beehiiv: N/A | Ghost: Full-featured publishing platform
Beehiiv: N/A | Ghost: Yes (full self-hosting available)
Beehiiv: N/A | Ghost: Yes (extensive public API)
Beehiiv: N/A | Ghost: Segmentation, A/B testing, automation workflows
Beehiiv: N/A | Ghost: Unlimited custom tiers
Beehiiv: N/A | Ghost: Full REST API with custom code access
Beehiiv: N/A | Ghost: $348 (Professional) + hosting
Beehiiv: N/A | Ghost: 14 days (self-hosted free indefinitely)
Beehiiv: N/A | Ghost: 150+ via Zapier/API
Monthly Newsletter Subscriber Allowance (Free Tier)
Beehiiv: N/A | Ghost: Native, built-in feature
Beehiiv: N/A | Ghost: Native memberships with paywalls
Beehiiv: N/A | Ghost: Basic product pages; not primary focus
Beehiiv: N/A | Ghost: Built-in with automation and segmentation
Beehiiv: N/A | Ghost: Yes (Ghost Pro); No (self-hosted requires setup)
Beehiiv: N/A | Ghost: $0 (self-hosted) or $199 (managed)
Beehiiv: N/A | Ghost: 0-10% (platform fee varies by plan)
Beehiiv: N/A | Ghost: 120+ minutes (requires hosting setup)
Beehiiv: N/A | Ghost: Unlimited (full code access)
Beehiiv: N/A | Ghost: Articles, newsletters, audio, video, courses, memberships, podcasts
Beehiiv: N/A | Ghost: No native recommendation algorithm
Beehiiv: N/A | Ghost: Full REST API with webhooks and custom integrations
Beehiiv: N/A | Ghost: Yes, with automation
Beehiiv: N/A | Ghost: Theme-based (~30% customization)
Monthly Bandwidth Included (Starter Plan)
Beehiiv: N/A | Ghost: Self-hosted: 60-120 min; Managed: 15-20 min
Beehiiv: N/A | Ghost: ~1.2 million publishers (estimated)
Beehiiv: N/A | Ghost: Complete; full JSON export, subscriber lists accessible
Beehiiv: N/A | Ghost: 3 methods (subscriptions, memberships, email sponsorships)
Beehiiv: N/A | Ghost: Stripe coverage: 195+ countries
Beehiiv: N/A | Ghost: Segmentation, conditional logic, A/B testing, automation workflows
Beehiiv: N/A | Ghost: Yes - native paywall with Stripe
Beehiiv: N/A | Ghost: Full CMS with custom themes, SEO tools, member-only content
Beehiiv: N/A | Ghost: No - requires custom development or third-party
Beehiiv: N/A | Ghost: 7 (self-hosted) or 3 (Pro)
Beehiiv: N/A | Ghost: $29 (Ghost Pro) or $0 (self-hosted)
Beehiiv: N/A | Ghost: 50+ via Zapier, direct integrations minimal
Beehiiv vs Ghost — Structured Comparison Data
Machine-readable comparison dataset for Beehiiv vs Ghost. Contains 184 attribute comparisons, 5 FAQ pairs.
Beehiiv vs Ghost — Attribute Category Vocabulary
Taxonomy of attribute categories used to classify comparison data for Beehiiv vs Ghost.
Can I migrate my newsletter from Beehiiv to Ghost?
Yes, but with limitations. You can export your subscriber list from Beehiiv, though email history and metadata may not fully transfer. Ghost requires manual import of subscribers and rebuilding of email templates. Data export capabilities are restricted compared to Ghost's full portability.
Which platform is better for earning money from newsletters?
Beehiiv offers faster monetization through its integrated sponsor marketplace (2000+ brands) and referral rewards, making it ideal for rapid revenue scaling. Ghost requires manual sponsorship deals but offers superior paywall and membership features for building sustainable recurring revenue directly from readers. Choice depends on whether you prefer quick sponsorships or long-term member relationships.
Does Ghost have a free tier like Beehiiv?
Ghost offers free self-hosted installation, but requires technical setup and server costs ($5-20/month). Beehiiv's free tier is more accessible with zero technical friction and unlimited subscribers. Ghost's managed Pro plan starts at $199/year, making it competitive but requiring initial setup knowledge.
Which platform is better for long-form blogging and SEO?
Ghost is significantly better. It creates a public, SEO-optimized blog archive, making content discoverable through Google search. Beehiiv treats content as email-first, with minimal SEO optimization. If organic traffic and searchability matter, Ghost wins decisively.
Can I use both Beehiiv and Ghost together?
Yes, many creators do. Beehiiv handles newsletter growth and sponsorship monetization, while Ghost hosts the blog and member paywall. Ghost can automatically send newsletters to subscribers, creating a complementary workflow. However, this requires managing two platforms and integration setup.
Primary Use Case: Beehiiv has Newsletter growth & monetization, while Ghost has Independent publishing & membership.
Pricing Model: Beehiiv has Free tier available, paid from $15/month, while Ghost has Self-hosted free, managed from $199/year.
Built-in Referral System: Beehiiv has Yes, native growth loops, while Ghost has No, requires custom integration.
Sponsorship Marketplace: Beehiiv has Yes, integrated Sponsor Network, while Ghost has No, manual sponsorship handling.
Membership/Paywall Features: Beehiiv has Basic paid tiers support, while Ghost has Advanced, native member-only content.
Data Ownership & Portability: Beehiiv has Proprietary platform, limited export, while Ghost has Full data ownership, self-hosted option.
Content SEO & Discovery: Beehiiv has Newsletter-focused, limited SEO, while Ghost has Full SEO optimization, public blog archive.