Patreon is a membership platform optimized for creators seeking recurring fan support with built-in audience discovery, while Ghost is a self-hosted or managed blogging/newsletter platform designed for publishers who want full content ownership and direct subscriber relationships without platform fees.
Patreon vs Ghost — Side-by-side comparison on A Versus B
Membership platform connecting creators with fans through recurring pledges and exclusive content.
Self-hosted or managed blogging platform with built-in memberships and newsletter functionality.
Business Model. Content Discovery. Monetization Methods. Content Ownership. Setup Complexity. Monthly Active Users (Creator Community). Direct Audience Access
Choose Patreon if you want a creator-focused platform with built-in discovery, lower technical barriers, and multiple revenue streams for emerging creators seeking their first 1,000 supporters. Choose Ghost if you're an established publisher prioritizing content ownership, full audience data control, and are willing to invest in self-promotion and technical setup to avoid platform dependence and revenue sharing.
Patreon: 5% + payment fees (7.55% total average) | Ghost: 0% (self-hosted) or $25-333/month (managed)
Patreon: 48-72 hours | Ghost: 30-60 minutes plus hosting
Patreon: Platform-owned; limited export capability | Ghost: Full creator ownership (self-hosted)
Patreon: Posts, messaging, polls, Discord sync | Ghost: Newsletter, comments, member walls
Patreon: Limited; template-based | Ghost: Complete; full white-label
Patreon: Monthly cycle + 14-day hold | Ghost: 2-5 days (processor dependent)
Patreon: Unlimited (all tiers) | Ghost: Unlimited (self-hosted limits by server)
Patreon: iOS & Android apps available | Ghost: Web-only; no native apps
Patreon: 2-3% | Ghost: No additional fees
Patreon: Unlimited custom tiers | Ghost: N/A
Patreon: Posts, comments, media galleries, polls | Ghost: N/A
Patreon: Yes, but exclusivity encouraged | Ghost: N/A
Platform Commission on Paid Subscriptions
Patreon: 5-12% (5% Stripe, 12% PayPal) | Ghost: N/A
Patreon: 3+ million monthly visitors | Ghost: N/A
Patreon: 5 (tiers, tips, merchandise, goals, DMs) | Ghost: N/A
Patreon: Patreon owns data; limited direct contact | Ghost: N/A
Patreon: High (creator feed, categories, trending) | Ghost: N/A
Patreon: Moderate—tier customization, perk management, integration setup required | Ghost: N/A
Patreon: 2 (Stripe + PayPal) | Ghost: N/A
Patreon: Embed option; limited native sync | Ghost: N/A
Patreon: Patron chat, Discord integration, polls, exclusive channels, member-only posts | Ghost: N/A
Patreon: Limited; Patreon branding mandatory | Ghost: N/A
Patreon: Basic API with limitations on customization | Ghost: Full REST API with webhooks and custom integrations
Patreon: Patreon Plus required ($8/month) for full features | Ghost: N/A
Patreon: 250M+ monthly patrons | Ghost: N/A
Patreon: $9,999/month per tier (unlimited tiers) | Ghost: N/A
Patreon: Posts, DMs, polls, exclusive content, video uploads, scheduling | Ghost: N/A
Patreon: Direct messages, community feed, Discord integration | Ghost: N/A
Patreon: iOS and Android native apps | Ghost: N/A
Patreon: 1 (memberships/subscriptions focused) | Ghost: N/A
Patreon: Monthly (1st of following month) | Ghost: N/A
Patreon: ~1.5 million monthly creators | Ghost: N/A
Patreon: Advanced (retention, churn, demographics, goals) | Ghost: N/A
Patreon: 3-5% (varies by region) | Ghost: N/A
Patreon: Posts, exclusive feeds, DMs, polls, live streams | Ghost: N/A
Patreon: Stripe, PayPal, regional options | Ghost: N/A
Patreon: Video, audio, podcasts, art, music, writing, gaming, photography | Ghost: N/A
Patreon: ~80-85% (standard email system) | Ghost: N/A
Patreon: 8% + payment processing (2.2% + $0.30) | Ghost: N/A
Patreon: Memberships, tips, paid posts, merchandise, sponsorships | Ghost: N/A
Patreon: Limited—minimal algorithmic discovery, relies on external promotion | Ghost: N/A
Patreon: ~5 minutes | Ghost: Self-hosted: 60-120 min; Managed: 15-20 min
Patreon: 6+ million monthly patrons | Ghost: ~1.2 million publishers (estimated)
Patreon: Limited; patron data siloed on platform | Ghost: Complete; full JSON export, subscriber lists accessible
Patreon: 4 methods (memberships, tips, shop, early access) | Ghost: 3 methods (subscriptions, memberships, email sponsorships)
Patreon: 190+ countries with local payment methods | Ghost: Stripe coverage: 195+ countries
Patreon: Basic email to patrons only | Ghost: Segmentation, conditional logic, A/B testing, automation workflows
Patreon: N/A | Ghost: Variable by creator
Patreon: N/A | Ghost: Advanced (meta tags, sitemaps, structured data)
Patreon: N/A | Ghost: Full custom themes and CSS control
Patreon: N/A | Ghost: Minimal, relies on external traffic
Patreon: N/A | Ghost: Subscriptions, memberships, ads, sponsorships
Patreon: N/A | Ghost: $18 (starter plan)
Patreon: N/A | Ghost: Built-in (native feature)
Patreon: N/A | Ghost: 2-3 limited options
Patreon: N/A | Ghost: Not disclosed (smaller ecosystem)
Patreon: N/A | Ghost: $199/year (Ghost Pro)
Patreon: N/A | Ghost: 9/10 (full code access)
Patreon: N/A | Ghost: 30-60 minutes (with setup)
Patreon: N/A | Ghost: 400+ (through open-source ecosystem)
Patreon: N/A | Ghost: 100% (creator owns all)
Average Writer Earnings (Partner Program)
Patreon: N/A | Ghost: Variable (unlimited potential)
Patreon: N/A | Ghost: 10/10 (full control)
Patreon: N/A | Ghost: $29 (Ghost Pro) / Free (self-hosted)
Patreon: N/A | Ghost: No built-in limit; integrates Stripe/PayPal
Patreon: N/A | Ghost: 15-20 professional themes
Patreon: N/A | Ghost: Native segmentation, automation, design builder
Patreon: N/A | Ghost: Built-in tiers, gating, paywalls, analytics
Patreon: N/A | Ghost: Basic XML sitemaps, structured data, redirects
Patreon: N/A | Ghost: 14 days for Ghost(Pro)
Patreon: N/A | Ghost: Scales to 1,000,000+
Patreon: N/A | Ghost: Yes (full tier support)
Patreon: N/A | Ghost: Full-featured publishing platform
Patreon: N/A | Ghost: Yes (full self-hosting available)
Patreon: N/A | Ghost: Yes (extensive public API)
Patreon: N/A | Ghost: $29 (Professional plan)
Patreon: N/A | Ghost: Segmentation, A/B testing, automation workflows
Patreon: N/A | Ghost: Unlimited custom tiers
Patreon: N/A | Ghost: Full REST API with custom code access
Patreon: N/A | Ghost: $348 (Professional) + hosting
Patreon: N/A | Ghost: 14 days (self-hosted free indefinitely)
Patreon: N/A | Ghost: 150+ via Zapier/API
Monthly Newsletter Subscriber Allowance (Free Tier)
Patreon: N/A | Ghost: Native, built-in feature
Patreon: N/A | Ghost: $29 (Ghost Pro managed)
Patreon: N/A | Ghost: Native memberships with paywalls
Patreon: N/A | Ghost: Basic product pages; not primary focus
Patreon: N/A | Ghost: Built-in with automation and segmentation
Patreon: N/A | Ghost: Yes (Ghost Pro); No (self-hosted requires setup)
Patreon: N/A | Ghost: $0 (self-hosted) or $199 (managed)
Patreon: N/A | Ghost: 0-10% (platform fee varies by plan)
Patreon: N/A | Ghost: 120+ minutes (requires hosting setup)
Patreon: N/A | Ghost: Unlimited (full code access)
Patreon: N/A | Ghost: Articles, newsletters, audio, video, courses, memberships, podcasts
Patreon: N/A | Ghost: No native recommendation algorithm
Patreon: N/A | Ghost: Yes, with automation
Patreon: N/A | Ghost: Theme-based (~30% customization)
Monthly Bandwidth Included (Starter Plan)
Patreon: N/A | Ghost: $29 (Ghost Pro) or $0 (self-hosted)
Patreon: N/A | Ghost: Yes - native paywall with Stripe
Patreon: N/A | Ghost: Basic (simple sequences, limited conditions)
Patreon: N/A | Ghost: Full CMS with custom themes, SEO tools, member-only content
Patreon: N/A | Ghost: No - requires custom development or third-party
Patreon: N/A | Ghost: 7 (self-hosted) or 3 (Pro)
Patreon: N/A | Ghost: 50+ via Zapier, direct integrations minimal
Patreon vs Ghost — Structured Comparison Data
Machine-readable comparison dataset for Patreon vs Ghost. Contains 158 attribute comparisons, 5 FAQ pairs.
Patreon vs Ghost — Attribute Category Vocabulary
Taxonomy of attribute categories used to classify comparison data for Patreon vs Ghost.
Ghost's self-hosted option is free, while Ghost(Pro) managed plans start at $25/month with zero revenue sharing. Patreon charges 5% + 2.2% + $0.35 per transaction, totaling 7.55% average cost on patron pledges. A creator earning $1,000/month on Patreon loses $75.50 in fees; on Ghost(Pro) at $25/month plus transaction fees (~2.2%), the cost is around $47/month total—a $28+ monthly savings.
Can I export my subscribers from each platform?
Ghost allows complete subscriber data export in JSON format, including email addresses, membership status, and engagement metrics. Patreon does not provide direct access to patron email addresses or contact information; creators cannot bulk export subscriber lists, limiting audience portability if they switch platforms.
Which has better discovery for new creators?
Patreon has 6+ million monthly active patrons who browse the discover feed, giving new creators exposure potential. Ghost has no built-in discovery feed; growth relies on the creator's existing audience, SEO, and social sharing. Studies show creators on Patreon gain patrons 3-4x faster in their first 6 months compared to self-hosted platforms.
Which platform is better for newsletter creators?
Ghost is specifically built for newsletter publishers with advanced email features: segmentation, conditional logic, A/B testing, and subscriber analytics. Patreon offers basic email-to-patrons functionality but lacks automation. If newsletters are your primary focus, Ghost is significantly better optimized.
What happens if each platform shuts down or changes terms?
If Patreon changes policies or shuts down, creators lose access to subscriber data and earnings in progress. With Ghost self-hosted, creators retain all data and can migrate instantly to another server. Ghost(Pro) subscribers can export all data and run the self-hosted version independently. Ghost offers substantially more platform risk mitigation.
Business Model: Patreon has 5% + payment processing fees on patron pledges, while Ghost has Free self-hosted or $25-333/month managed hosting (no revenue share).
Content Discovery: Patreon has Integrated discovery feed with 6+ million monthly users browsing creators, while Ghost has No built-in discovery; relies on owned audience and SEO.
Monetization Methods: Patreon has Membership tiers, one-time support, and shop features, while Ghost has Subscriptions, email newsletters, and memberships only.
Content Ownership: Patreon has Patreon owns some platform IP; limited data portability, while Ghost has 100% creator ownership; full data export and migration available.
Setup Complexity: Patreon has Instant setup, no technical skills required, while Ghost has Self-hosted requires coding/server knowledge; managed plan easier but still more involved.
Consider: Monthly Active Users (Creator Community)
Monthly Active Users (Creator Community): Patreon has 6+ million patrons across platform, while Ghost has 1.2+ million publishers (estimated).
Direct Audience Access: Patreon has Limited direct contact; platform mediation required, while Ghost has Complete email and subscriber data ownership.