beehiiv
Ghost
beehiiv
Ghost
No signals
beehiiv
Ghost
beehiiv
Ghost
beehiiv
Ghost
beehiiv
Ghost
beehiiv
Ghost
No signals
beehiiv
No signals
Ghost
Users: 1
Storage: Unlimited
Limits: 2,500 subscriber cap, No monetization, No AI tools, No priority support, beehiiv branding
Users: 3
Storage: Unlimited
Limits: 3 team members max, 1 publication, Pricing scales with subscribers
Users: Unlimited
Storage: Unlimited
Limits: Still scales with subscriber count, 10 publication limit
Users: Unlimited
Storage: Unlimited
Limits: Only for large publishers (100K+ subscribers), Custom pricing
Users: Unlimited
Storage: Depends on host
Limits: Requires technical skills, server management, and ongoing maintenance. Mailgun setup required for newsletters.
Users: 1 staff
Storage: Limited
Limits: 1,000 members max, 1 staff only, Monday-Friday email support, 90-day analytics only
Users: 3 staff
Storage: Standard
Limits: 1,000 members included, Mailgun-only emails, Limited theme marketplace
Users: 15 staff
Storage: Large
Limits: 1,000 members base, Expensive for small publishers, Significant price jump from Publisher
Users: Custom
Storage: Custom
Limits: Pricing not transparent, Minimum subscriber requirements, Annual commitments
| Feature | beehiiv | Ghost |
|---|---|---|
| Growth | ||
| Referral program Customizable rewards for subscriber referrals | ||
| Publishing | ||
| Built-in newsletters Native email newsletters with Stripe integration | ||
| Website builder Built-in but buggy | ||
| Markdown editor Clean, distraction-free writing experience | ||
| Stable website hosting Reported downtime issues | ||
| Monetization | ||
| Boosts (paid recommendations) Earn by recommending other newsletters | ||
| Membership/subscriptions Paid subscriptions with tiered access | ||
| Ad network Sponsored links revenue (Scale+) | ||
| Paid subscriptions Scale plan and above | ||
| Performance | ||
| Fast page loads Significantly faster than WordPress | ||
| SEO | ||
| Native SEO Built-in SEO without plugins needed | ||
| Pricing | ||
| Free tier (2,500 subs) Generous free plan | ||
| Self-hosting option Open-source, can self-host for free (with complexity) | ||
| Development | ||
| Headless CMS API Powerful Content API for custom frontends | ||
| Analytics | ||
| Analytics dashboard Comprehensive newsletter metrics | ||
| Branding | ||
| Custom domain Available on all plans | ||
| Maintenance | ||
| No plugin management Most features built-in, no plugin conflicts | ||
| Marketing | ||
| Basic automation Scale plan+, limited compared to competitors | ||
| Advanced automation Limited triggers and workflows | ||
| Integrations | ||
| Multiple email providers Mailgun only - no SendGrid, SES, etc. | ||
| Segmentation | ||
| Subscriber tags Recently added | ||
| Customization | ||
| Visual theme customization Code required for customization beyond basics | ||
| Large theme marketplace Only 92 themes total, 15 free | ||
| Support | ||
| Responsive support Slow/chatbot-first, premium for humans | ||
| Weekend support Starter tier has Monday-Friday only | ||
| Comprehensive documentation Outdated, gaps in coverage | ||
| Selling | ||
| E-commerce Memberships only, no product sales | ||
| Payments | ||
| Reliable Stripe integration Bug reports and errors | ||
| Content | ||
| Media library management No proper media organization or reuse | ||
| Deliverability | ||
| Dedicated IP Enterprise only | ||
| Core | ||
| Full website builder Publishing-focused only, not full CMS | ||
| Localization | ||
| Multi-language support English-focused, portal/emails hard to translate | ||
