Looking for alternatives to Ghost? Here are the best options depending on your use case.
Ghost ranks lower on tax handling, advanced billing flexibility, which is the most common reason teams evaluate alternatives.
Newsletter platform built for growth. Strong analytics, A/B testing for subject lines, paid subscriptions, and a built-in ad network. 0% platform fee on paid subscriptions.
Formerly ConvertKit. Email marketing platform with paid newsletter and product monetization features. Strong automation and segmentation.
Simplest way to launch a paid newsletter. Large built-in discovery network. 10% fee at scale makes it expensive compared to Ghost or Beehiiv.
Clean membership tool acquired by Patreon. Integrates directly with existing websites. Best for creators who want memberships without switching platforms.
The original creator membership platform. Large built-in discovery network. High fees (8-15%) but strong brand recognition. Handles some tax compliance.
Default choice for indie SaaS founders. Tax compliance out of the box, license key management, excellent DX. Acquired by Stripe in 2024.
Lowest MoR fees on the market (4% + $0.40). Open source, built for developers and OSS projects.
Fastest path from idea to first sale. Built-in marketplace gives discovery. Now a Merchant of Record (since Jan 2025) — handles all global tax compliance. High fees (10% + $0.50) are the trade-off for zero setup friction.
| Tool | Pricing | MoR | A/B | Ease |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ghost | Self-hosted: free. Ghost(Pro): from $18/month. 0% platform fee on memberships. | No | No | 3/5 |
| Beehiiv | Free Launch plan. Scale $43/mo. Max $96/mo. Enterprise: custom. 0% platform fee on paid subscriptions. | No | Yes | 5/5 |
| Kit | Free up to 10,000 subscribers. Creator from $25/month. | No | No | 4/5 |
| Substack | 10% of paid subscription revenue. Stripe handles payments. | No | No | 5/5 |
| Memberful | Free (10% + Stripe fees). Pro $49/mo (4.9%). Premium $199/mo (0% transaction fee). | No | No | 5/5 |
| Patreon | Lite: 8% of earnings. Pro: 12%. Premium: 15%. Stripe fees on top. | No | No | 5/5 |
| Lemon Squeezy | 5% + $0.50 per transaction. Acquired by Stripe 2024. | Yes | No | 5/5 |
| Polar | 4% + $0.40 per transaction (lowest MoR fees on the market) | Yes | No | 5/5 |
| Gumroad | 10% + $0.50 per transaction (direct). 30% via Gumroad marketplace. MoR since January 2025 — handles all global tax. | Yes | No | 5/5 |
Answer 3 questions and get a personalized monetization stack recommendation.
Start the wizard→