Sherpo is the Ghost-buster

Sherpo gives you more tools, flexible monetization options, AI-powered features, and lower fees than Ghost!

TL;DR

If you’re a writer or content creator, you might be considering platforms like Ghost—an open-source Substack alternative focused on newsletters and blogs. Ghost offers creators a solid starting point for writing and subscription monetization, but what happens when you want to:

Sell more than newsletters (like digital products or video courses)?
Reduce platform fees as you scale?
Fully control your brand with white-label options?

Sherpo is built like a platform. With Sherpo, you can write blogs, sell digital downloads, offer coaching calls, and create video courses—all on your terms. No limitations, no extra charges.

In this post, we’ll break down why creators are leaving Ghost and joining Sherpo to take control of their audience, monetize flexibly, and grow their business without platform constraints.

Sherpo vs. Ghost: The numbers speak

Feature	Sherpo Flex	Sherpo Plus	Sherpo Ultra	Ghost Starter	Ghost Creator	Ghost Team	Ghost Business
Monthly Pricing	Free	$29	$79	$11	$31	$63	$249
Transaction Fees	1% to 5%	1% to 5%	0%	0%	0%	0%	0%
Sell video courses	✓	✓	✓	✘	✘	✘	✘
Sell digital files	✓	✓	✓	✘	✘	✘	✘
Offer coaching calls	✓	✓	✓	✘	✘	✘	✘
AI tools	✓	✓	✓	✘	✘	✘	✘
Fully white label	✓	✓	✓	Limited	Limited	✓	✓
Custom CSS	✘	✓	✓	✘	✓	✓	✓

Ghost’s limitations: Blogs only, scaling costs

Ghost pitches itself as a Substack alternative with an open-source foundation. It works well for newsletters and blogs, but as your business grows, Ghost’s limitations become clear:

Scaling costs quickly: Ghost’s starter plan begins at $11/month for 500 members. As you scale to 1,000 members, you’re looking at $31/month—and higher for more members and/or larger teams.
No digital product sales: Ghost doesn’t support selling digital downloads, video courses, or coaching calls, forcing you to use third-party tools.
Limited AI tools: Ghost lacks built-in AI features that streamline content creation, like captions, summaries, and translations.
Limited brand control: Ghost Starter offers little in terms of white-label features, restricting your ability to fully own your brand unless you upgrade to higher-priced plans.

Sherpo: the all-in-one platform for creators

Sherpo is built to empower creators—whether you write blogs, sell eBooks, run coaching sessions, or launch courses. Unlike Ghost, Sherpo provides everything you need to grow, monetize, and scale.

1. Monetize flexibly: not just subscriptions

While Ghost locks you into a subscription-based model for blogs and newsletters, Sherpo gives you the freedom to:

Sell digital downloads like PDFs, Excel templates, and eBooks.
Create and sell video courses with built-in AI features (captions, summaries, and transcripts).
Offer 1:1 coaching calls by integrating your calendar.
Mix revenue streams: Use tips, one-time purchases, memberships, or subscriptions to build a diversified income.

2. Lower costs and better value

Ghost’s pricing climbs as your subscriber count grows. Sherpo, on the other hand, keeps things simple and affordable:

Sherpo Flex: Free, with a 1% to 5% transaction fee (5% on blogs).
Sherpo Plus: $29/month + 1% to 5% transaction fee (5% on blogs), getting added tools like custom CSS and possibility to sell free content.
Sherpo Ultra: $79/month with 0% transaction fees.

Here’s what you save when scaling your revenue with Sherpo:

Monthly Revenue	Sherpo Flex (5%)	Sherpo Ultra (0%)	Ghost
$500	$25	$0	$25/month+
$1,000	$50	$0	$63/month+
$5,000	$250	$0	$249/month+

With Sherpo Ultra, you keep 100% of your revenue, while Ghost’s flat subscription cost increases as you need higher plans for scaling teams.

3. Your brand, your way: full white-label support

Sherpo prioritizes your brand:

White-label customization: On all Sherpo plans, you can use your custom domain and make your platform yours. With Ghost, white-label options are limited to higher-tier plans.
Custom CSS: With Sherpo Plus and Ultra, you can edit your site’s design using custom CSS for full creative control.

Ghost Starter users get neither white-label options nor CSS editing—Sherpo gives you both for less.

4. AI-powered tools to save time

Sherpo comes with powerful AI tools to help you create and scale faster:

Generate captions, summaries, and translations for video courses.
Proofread or elaborate on your blog content with a single click.
Get AI-driven insights on sales trends and customer behavior.

Ghost doesn’t offer AI tools, leaving creators without automated solutions to save time and increase productivity.

The verdict: Ghost is good, but Sherpo is better

Ghost works well for bloggers and writers who want a subscription-based model, but it stops short of being a true all-in-one creator platform. Sherpo takes you further by offering:

Lower costs: Keep more of your earnings with 1% to 5%, or 0% transaction fees.
Flexible monetization: Sell digital products, courses, and coaching sessions alongside blogs.
Full white-label control: Customize your branding, site design, and user experience.
AI tools: Automate tasks like captions, translations, and content optimization.

If you’re ready to grow your audience and monetize without limits, Sherpo is the better choice.

Switch to Sherpo today

Ready to take control of your brand and scale your business? Try Sherpo today and see why creators are choosing a smarter platform.

Need help migrating your content? Email migrations@sherpo.io, and our team will assist you.

Ghost may charge you more for less. Sherpo gives you everything you need to win.