Substack
Writers who want zero upfront cost and Substack's built-in network (Notes, recommendations)
Newsletters
Publishers who want their own branded site, themes and 0% revenue share.
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| Plan | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Starter | $18/mo billed yearly | 1 staff user, 1,000 members; no paid subscriptions |
| Publisher | $29/mo billed yearly | 3 staff users, 1,000 members, paid subscriptions with 0% Ghost fee, custom themes |
| Business | $199/mo billed yearly | 15 staff users, 10,000 members, priority support |
Official sources, checked Nov 2026. Ghost (Ghost(Pro)). Prices in USD unless shown otherwise. Vendors change pricing, so confirm on their site before buying.
From $18/mo billed yearly; 0% transaction fees on paid plans
Four platforms dominate creator newsletters. They differ less on features than on one thing, how they make money from you.
Read the guideSubstack is a great place to start. But once paid subscriptions grow, 10% of revenue plus Stripe is a big bill.
Read the guideSubstack and Ghost both power paid newsletters, but with opposite philosophies. Substack is a network you join for free; Ghost is software you pay…
Read the guideWriters who want zero upfront cost and Substack's built-in network (Notes, recommendations)
Growth-focused newsletters that want ads and paid subs without a revenue cut
Creators who sell products and need automations/sequences
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