beehiiv vs Ghost (2026): Cost at 1k, 5k and 10k Subscribers

Short answer: pick beehiiv if you want to start free and use built-in growth tools like referrals and the recommendation network. Pick Ghost if you want a publication you control down to the theme, with the option to self-host the open-source software later.

How we wrote this: this comparison uses beehiiv's and Ghost's official pricing pages and help docs, checked 2026-10-15. We haven't run a long-term paid publication on either platform, so we don't make claims about support quality or deliverability results.

Verdict

beehiiv is built around growing a newsletter. Its free plan goes up to 2,500 subscribers, and paid plans add referral programs, the ad network and automations (beehiiv.com/pricing, checked 2026-10-15). Ghost is a publishing platform first. Every Ghost(Pro) plan is white-label, and you can host the software yourself (ghost.org/pricing, ghost.org/docs/install, checked 2026-10-15). If you're starting from zero and cost matters most, beehiiv's free plan is the cheaper start. If you have paying members and care about your own design and domain, Ghost deserves a look.

Cost at 1,000, 5,000 and 10,000 subscribers

All prices are in USD per month, shown as billed yearly / billed monthly. Sources: beehiiv.com/pricing, checked 2026-10-15, and ghost.org/pricing, checked 2026-10-15 (live browser check of the members slider).

Both platforms price by list size. At 1,000, beehiiv Free is cheapest at $0. Of the plans that take paid subscriptions, Ghost Publisher ($29 yearly) costs less than beehiiv Lite ($49 yearly). At 5,000 and 10,000, Ghost Publisher ($63 and $88 yearly) is still below beehiiv Lite ($95 and $119 yearly). Ghost's Starter plan stops at 1,000 members, and Business is capped at 10,000.

Fees on paid subscriptions

beehiiv says it takes 0% of paid subscription revenue, and Stripe's standard fee of 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction still applies. Paid subscriptions start on Lite (beehiiv.com/pricing FAQ, checked 2026-10-15). Ghost charges 0% transaction fees on Publisher and above, and payment processor fees still apply. Ghost's Starter plan doesn't include paid subscriptions or tips (ghost.org/pricing, checked 2026-10-15).

Website and themes

Every beehiiv plan includes the website builder and web hosting. Custom domains start on Lite, and only Pro removes beehiiv branding (beehiiv.com/pricing). Ghost is white-label on every plan. Starter uses the built-in default theme, and Marketplace or custom themes start on Publisher. All Ghost(Pro) sites include a one-year free .link domain, which renews at standard rates (ghost.org/pricing, checked 2026-10-15).

Growth tools vs ownership

beehiiv's growth features are spread across the plans. The recommendation network is on Free, and the referral program, ad network and paid recommendations start on Lite. Automations start on Lite with 10 live custom automations, and they're unlimited on Pro (beehiiv.com/pricing). Ghost includes recommendations, a referral program through First Promoter, the Ghost Explore directory and ActivityPub social web distribution on every plan. Zapier, webhooks and the Admin API start on Publisher (ghost.org/pricing, checked 2026-10-15).

The ownership difference is that Ghost is open source. Ghost's install docs cover self-hosting on an Ubuntu server, with Docker in preview (ghost.org/docs/install, checked 2026-10-15). Self-hosting removes the plan fee but leaves you with servers, updates and email sending to manage.

Migration

Both platforms let you export your list: Ghost lists member import/export in CSV on every plan, and beehiiv lists data exports on every plan (both pricing pages, checked 2026-10-15). Before you switch, export your list and check how paid subscribers move with your Stripe account.

Who fits which

• Starting out on $0: beehiiv Free, up to 2,500 subscribers.
• Selling paid memberships at about 1,000 members: Ghost Publisher at $29/mo billed yearly, or beehiiv Lite at $49/mo billed yearly. Both say they take 0% of paid subscriptions (payment processing fees still apply).
• Want full design control or self-hosting: Ghost.
• Want referrals, an ad network and automations in one dashboard: beehiiv.

If Kit or Substack is also on your list, see our beehiiv vs Kit vs Substack comparison.

FAQ

What are beehiiv's main competitors? Ghost, Substack and Kit come up most often. We compare beehiiv with Kit and Substack in beehiiv vs Kit vs Substack.

What's the best newsletter platform? It depends on your goal. For a free start with growth tools, beehiiv. For an owned, themeable publication with paid members, Ghost. There's no single best choice for everyone.

Substack or Ghost? Substack is free to use and takes 10% of paid revenue plus card processing fees. Ghost(Pro) charges a monthly plan fee and takes 0% on Publisher and above.