Ghost suits publishers and businesses who want an open source platform where the audience, brand and website are entirely theirs. Substack suits writers who want to start quickly and be found through Substack's own network of readers. Pick Ghost if you want your own branded home; pick Substack if discovery matters more than control.
Ghost and Substack both help you publish and grow a list of readers, but they come from different places. Ghost is open source software funded by its users. Substack is a network where readers discover writers. I read Ghost's home page and Substack's About page for this.
Ghost and Substack compared
| Ghost | Substack | |
|---|---|---|
| Type of platform | An open source blog and newsletter platform | A publishing network for writers and creators |
| Who backs it | Funded by its users, no investors | Not covered on the page I read |
| Getting started | Not covered on the page I read | Free to start and free to leave |
| Discovery | Your own site and brand | Recommendations, notes and collaborations |
| For businesses | Native lead gen and analytics | Newsrooms with several writers |
| Audio and video | Not covered on the page I read | Podcasts, video and going live |
Why people choose Ghost
The platform says it's open source, independent, and funded entirely by its users, with no investors. Its pitch to creators is to escape the algorithm: your audience and your brand are owned entirely by you. You're building your own publication, on your own site, rather than a profile inside someone else's network.
Ghost also talks to businesses directly. It offers native lead generation and analytics for content marketing, and lists companies such as Kickstarter, Buffer and Unsplash among the brands running on it.
Ghost's home page also shows the kind of publishers it attracts: independent outlets such as 404 Media, Platformer and The Lever, alongside creators in travel, productivity and design. That tells you who it's for. It's a home for people who think of their newsletter as a media business or a central part of their brand, not a side project.
Why people choose Substack
Its About page says it's free to start and free to leave, and that you own every word and every direct relationship with your readers. Its biggest selling point is discovery: Substack says more than half of new subscribers come from its built-in network.
Substack has grown beyond writing. You can host a podcast in its Recording Studio, go live, and publish shows to Apple, Spotify and YouTube, and media companies can run a full newsroom with several writers and sections.
Control versus discovery
Here's the real decision. Ghost hands you the keys: open source software, your own brand, and no investors pushing the platform in another direction. Substack hands you an audience: a network that sends readers your way while you write. One is a house you build; the other is a busy street you set up shop on.
If you already have readers from social media, a podcast or a business, Ghost's control is worth more. If you're starting from zero, Substack's network is the faster start, and its notes and recommendations put your work in front of people who've never heard of you.
Who each platform suits
Ghost suits independent publishers, membership sites and businesses that want their newsletter on their own branded website. Substack suits new writers, experts and podcasters who want readers to find them inside a busy network. If you're still deciding whether you need a newsletter tool at all, read what newsletter software does and whether you need it, then my newsletter growth mini guide.
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My advice on Ghost or Substack
Ask yourself where your readers will come from in the first six months. If the honest answer is that you'll bring them yourself, choose Ghost and build on your own brand from day one. If you're hoping to be discovered, start on Substack, write consistently, and use its recommendations and notes to grow. You can always move later, and Substack says it's free to leave.
Do you make newsletter or publishing platforms? Tool makers can ask to be considered for a featured place in comparisons like this one.
Frequently asked questions
Is Ghost open source?
Yes. Ghost describes itself as open source, independent, and funded entirely by its users, with no investors.
Is Substack free to start?
Yes. Substack says it's free to start and free to leave, with no contracts.
Can businesses use Ghost?
Yes. Ghost offers native lead generation and analytics, and names businesses such as Kickstarter, Buffer and Unsplash on its home page.
Does Substack help new writers get found?
Yes. Substack says more than half of new subscribers come from its built-in network of recommendations, notes and collaborations.
Can I run a podcast on Ghost or Substack?
Substack has a Recording Studio for podcasts and can publish to Apple, Spotify and YouTube. Ghost's home page focuses on blogs and newsletters.
