4 Best Ghost Alternatives in 2025
Last updated: February 2026 • 14 min read
Ghost is a popular tool for professional publishers wanting ownership. While it offers a free tier (Free (self-hosted)), its paid plans start at $9/mo (hosted). Whether you're looking for a cheaper option, better features, or an open-source solution, we've compiled the 4 best Ghost alternatives to help you find the right fit.
📋 Quick Summary
- Total alternatives: 4
- Free alternatives: 4 (Substack, WordPress, Beehiiv)
- Open-source options: WordPress
- Best overall: Substack
- Best free: Substack
Why Look for Ghost Alternatives?
People commonly look for Ghost alternatives for several reasons:
- Cost: While Ghost has a free tier, its paid plans starting at $9/mo (hosted) can add up quickly for growing teams.
- Feature gaps: Requires technical skill and limited free themes are common complaints.
- Simplicity: Some users find Ghost overly complex for their needs and prefer simpler solutions.
- Better fit: Different tools excel at different use cases — you may find a tool that's specifically built for your workflow.
📊 Quick Comparison Table
| Tool | Free Tier | Starting Price | Rating | Open Source | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ghost | ✓ Free (self-hosted) | $9/mo (hosted) | ⭐ 4.3 | ✓ Yes | Professional publishers wanting ownership |
| Substack | ✓ Free (10% of paid subs) | Free (10% cut) | ⭐ 4.3 | No | Writers wanting to monetize a newsletter |
| WordPress | ✓ Free (self-hosted) | $4/mo (WordPress.com) | ⭐ 4.3 | ✓ Yes | Any type of website — blogs, businesses, e-commerce |
| Beehiiv | ✓ Up to 2,500 subscribers | $39/mo | ⭐ 4.5 | No | Newsletter creators focused on growth |
| Buttondown | ✓ Up to 100 subscribers | $9/mo | ⭐ 4.3 | No | Technical writers and developers |
Detailed Reviews of Each Alternative
Substack
Platform for independent writers to publish and monetize newsletters.
Substack is a publishing platform that makes it simple for writers to start a newsletter, build a community, and make money from subscriptions. It takes a 10% cut of paid subscriptions but charges nothing upfront, making it risk-free for writers to get started.
Pros
- ✓ Free to start
- ✓ Built-in monetization
- ✓ Growing network
- ✓ Simple to use
Cons
- ✗ 10% revenue cut
- ✗ Limited customization
- ✗ No advanced automation
- ✗ Lock-in concerns
WordPress
The world's most popular content management system.
WordPress powers over 40% of all websites on the internet, making it by far the most popular CMS. Available as both a self-hosted solution (WordPress.org) and a hosted platform (WordPress.com), WordPress offers unmatched flexibility through its ecosystem of themes and plugins.
Pros
- ✓ Most popular CMS
- ✓ Massive ecosystem
- ✓ Highly flexible
- ✓ SEO friendly
Cons
- ✗ Requires maintenance
- ✗ Security concerns
- ✗ Can be slow
- ✗ Plugin dependency
Beehiiv
Newsletter platform built for growth.
Beehiiv is a modern newsletter platform built by early Morning Brew team members. It focuses on helping newsletter creators grow their audience with built-in referral programs, monetization tools, and a recommendation network. Beehiiv has quickly become the go-to platform for newsletter-first businesses.
Pros
- ✓ Built for newsletters
- ✓ Growth tools included
- ✓ Monetization options
- ✓ Modern interface
Cons
- ✗ Limited to newsletters
- ✗ Can get expensive
- ✗ Newer platform
- ✗ Limited automation
Buttondown
Minimal newsletter tool for independent writers.
Buttondown is a small, elegant tool for producing newsletters. Built and maintained by a single developer, it focuses on doing email newsletters well without bloat. It supports Markdown, has a clean API, and offers features like automation and analytics without the complexity of larger platforms.
Pros
- ✓ Simple and clean
- ✓ Markdown support
- ✓ Indie-built
- ✓ Great API
Cons
- ✗ Limited free tier
- ✗ Basic templates
- ✗ Small team
- ✗ Limited design options
🏆 Our Recommendations
❓ FAQ
What is the best free alternative to Ghost?
The best free alternative to Ghost is Substack, which offers Free (10% of paid subs).
Is there an open-source alternative to Ghost?
Yes! WordPress is open-source alternative to Ghost that you can self-host for free.
What is the cheapest alternative to Ghost?
The cheapest alternatives are the free options: Substack, WordPress, Beehiiv. For paid alternatives, prices start from as low as $4/mo.
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