Ghost vs Substack
Side-by-side comparison on fees, payouts, monetization, and audience ownership.
Platform fee
from $9/mo · monthly subscription
10% · of revenue
Payout speed
instant
weekly
Minimum payout
$0
$0 (Stripe)
Countries
Stripe-supported
Stripe-supported
Email list export
Full access
Full access
Custom domain
Yes
Yes ($50 one-time)
Community features
Comments, paid tiers, member signups
Comments, paid Chat, DMs
Best for
Independent publishers and creators who want ownership and zero revenue share
Newsletter writers, podcasters, established creators who want audience ownership
Ghost vs Substack: which one wins?
Ghost charges from $9/mo (monthly subscription) versus Substack at 10% (of revenue).
On payout speed, Ghost pays instant while Substack pays weekly. For creators where cashflow matters, the faster cadence usually wins.
For audience ownership, Ghost offers full access email export and Substack offers full access. Email portability matters most for creators planning to migrate later or build a list independent of any single platform.
Best for: Ghost suits independent publishers and creators who want ownership and zero revenue share. Substack fits newsletter writers, podcasters, established creators who want audience ownership.