Trying to decide between Substack and Ghost? Both are popular tools in the newsletter space, but they serve different needs. This comparison breaks down features, pricing, and use cases to help you make the right choice.
| Feature | Substack | Ghost |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Newsletter | CMS |
| Starting Price | 10% of revenue | $9/mo |
| Best For | Writers starting newsletters | Modern blogging and newsletters |
| Video Automation | ❌ Manual | ❌ Manual |
10% of revenue
Writers starting newsletters.
$9/mo
Modern blogging and newsletters.
Substack starts at 10% of revenue, while Ghost starts at $9/mo. Consider not just the sticker price but the total cost of ownership — including the time you'll spend using each tool.
If you value your time at $50/hour and spend 5 hours/week on content creation, that's $1,000/month in time cost alone — regardless of which tool you choose.
Choose Substack if: You need writers starting newsletters and prefer free to start.
Choose Ghost if: You need modern blogging and newsletters and value fast and clean.
Consider neither if: You want automated video content without ongoing manual effort. Both tools require continuous time investment.
Whether you choose Substack or Ghost, consider adding video marketing to amplify your results. Video content gets 1200% more shares than text and images combined.
zSellify automatically converts your website content into YouTube Shorts — no filming, editing, or manual publishing required. At $69-129/month, it's an affordable addition to any marketing stack.
Still researching? Check out these related comparisons:
zSellify creates and publishes 2 videos/day from your existing website content. No filming. No editing. No scheduling.
See How It Works →