Best Newsletter Platforms in 2026, Compared by Fees
Compare the best newsletter platforms — Ghost, Substack, beehiiv, Kit, Mailchimp, and Buttondown — by fees, ownership, and free tiers, with clear picks.
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Compare the best newsletter platforms — Ghost, Substack, beehiiv, Kit, Mailchimp, and Buttondown — by fees, ownership, and free tiers, with clear picks.
Connect Mailchimp to Ghost with an embedded signup form, Zapier sync, or CSV import — or skip Mailchimp entirely using Ghost built-in newsletters.
Substack takes 10% of paid subscriptions; beehiiv charges a flat fee with an ad network. Compare fees, growth tools, and ownership — plus a third option.
Ghost combines a CMS, newsletter system, and membership platform into one. Here is what makes it different from WordPress, Substack, and website builders.
Step-by-step guide to launching your first Ghost newsletter. Set up sending, design your template, build signup forms, and grow your subscriber list.
Buttondown is minimalist email. Ghost is email, website, and memberships in one. Compare pricing, features, and what each platform includes.
Squarespace is a website builder; Ghost is a publishing platform. Newsletters, memberships, SEO, pricing, and design compared for serious web publishers.
Mailchimp is just email. Ghost is email, website, and memberships in one. Compare pricing, features, and what each platform actually includes.
Kit is email-only at $39/mo. Ghost gives you email, a full website, memberships, and SEO for $29/mo. Features, pricing, and ownership compared side by side.
Medium pays writers $1.20/post on average. Ghost lets you keep 100% of subscription revenue. Compare monetization, SEO, design, and ownership.
Ghost is open-source with full design control. Beehiiv has ads and Boosts. Compare pricing, newsletters, memberships, and ownership side by side.
WordPress needs 10 plugins to match what Ghost includes. Compare newsletters, memberships, SEO, security, and true costs for bloggers in 2026.
Ghost charges 0% revenue share; Substack takes 10% plus Apple in-app fees. Newsletters, design, SEO, pricing, and ownership compared side by side for 2026.
Beehiiv has ads and referrals. Ghost has 0% fees and full design control. Compare pricing, features, and ownership to find the right newsletter platform.
Kit raised prices 35% and still has no website or SEO. Ghost gives you newsletters, memberships, a full CMS, and 0% revenue share for $29/mo.
Mailchimp gutted its free plan, killed subscriptions, and keeps raising prices. Ghost offers newsletters, memberships, and a full website for $29/mo.
WordPress costs more than you think once you add plugins for SEO, security, backups, and email. Ghost includes everything bloggers need for a flat $29/mo.
Medium pays most writers under $100/mo and controls your audience. Ghost gives you 100% ownership, direct subscription revenue, and full design control.
Tired of Substack fees and limited design? Ghost offers 0% revenue share, full branding control, and built-in newsletters. Compare the two platforms.
Webflow is a visual design tool. Ghost is a publishing platform. Compare newsletters, memberships, SEO, pricing, and design for content creators.