Substack vs Ghost, and a third option.
Substack is a publishing platform for newsletters, podcasts and video. Ghost is an open-source publishing platform for websites, newsletters and paid memberships. Here they are on price, fees and features, with Sherpo next to them.
- Substack and Ghost, side by side
- A year of platform cost
- Sherpo as a third option
- 0% of your sales on Sherpo
- Substack$3,000 a year
- Ghost(Pro) Publisher$1,056 a year
- Sherpo Pro$588 a year
At 5,000 members, Ghost(Pro) Publisher is $756 a year, against $588 for Sherpo Pro, whose price does not change with your list. These Ghost(Pro) prices are for yearly billing.
Substack is free to start and charges 10% of paid subscriptions. Ghost(Pro) Publisher is $88 a month at 10,000 members, billed yearly, and takes 0% of sales. For a business earning $2,500 a month in $50 orders with 10,000 members, Substack costs $3,000 a year and Ghost(Pro) Publisher costs $1,056. Sherpo is a flat $19 or $49 a month and takes 0% of sales.
- Substack
- Free, 10% of paid subscriptions
- Ghost(Pro) Publisher
- $88 a month at 10,000 members, billed yearly, 0% of sales
- Sherpo
- From $19 a month, 0% of sales
- At $2,500 a month
- $3,000 and $1,056 a year
Substack, Ghost and Sherpo, side by side.
Each platform’s entry plan. Features that need a higher plan or another tool are marked.
| Feature | Substack | Ghost | Sherpo |
|---|---|---|---|
| Entry price | Free | $88 a month at 10,000 members, billed yearly | Lite $19 · Pro $49 |
| Fees on your sales | 10% of paid subscriptions | 0% of your sales | 0% of your sales |
| Your brand | |||
| Your own domain | IncludedOne-time $50 | Included | IncludedPro |
| White-label | Not offered | Included | IncludedPro |
| Site builder | IncludedPreset layouts | IncludedThemes | Included |
| Export your customer list | Included | Included | Included |
| What you can sell | |||
| Online courses | Not offered | Not offered | Included |
| Quizzes | Not offered | Not offered | IncludedPro |
| Certificates | Not offered | Not offered | IncludedPro |
| Blog with a paywall | Included | Included | Included |
| Files and downloads | LimitedAttachments inside posts | LimitedFiles inside posts | Included |
| Live portfolio | Not offered | Not offered | Included |
| Tips | LimitedFounding member tier only | Included | Included |
| Buyers’ AI access to every product (MCP) | Not offered | Not offered | Included |
| How you sell | |||
| Membership tiers | LimitedTwo fixed levels | Included3 on Publisher | Included |
| Coupons | IncludedOffer links | IncludedOffer links | Included |
| Affiliates with commission | LimitedReferrals, no commission | LimitedThrough FirstPromoter | Included |
| Built in | |||
| Video hosting | Included | Included100 MB a file on Publisher | IncludedNo bandwidth fees |
| AI subtitles | Included | Not offered | IncludedOn Sherpo Pro |
| For developers and AI | |||
| API for your own front-end | LimitedRead-only | LimitedNot for memberships | IncludedYour own codebase, on Pro |
| Run your store from your AI | LimitedRead-only, bestsellers only | Not offered | IncludedEvery plan |
| Included | 7 of 19plus 6 with a limit | 9 of 19plus 3 with a limit | 19 of 19 |
- Included
- Included with a limit, or through another tool
- Not offered
A year on Substack, on Ghost, and on Sherpo.
For a business earning $2,500 a month in $50 orders with 10,000 members, Substack costs $3,000 a year and Ghost(Pro) Publisher costs $1,056. Sherpo Pro, with unlimited customers, costs $588.
The Substack figure is 10% of paid subscriptions. The Ghost figure is $88 a month for Ghost(Pro) Publisher at 10,000 members, billed yearly. Sherpo Pro has unlimited customers. At 5,000 members, Publisher is $63 a month ($756 a year), against $588 a year for Sherpo Pro. Card processing is charged by the payment provider on all three. Sherpo prices here are billed monthly. Competitor prices are from each platform’s own pages and published price trackers, checked in October 2026.
Put in your own numbers| Substack | Ghost(Pro) Publisher | Sherpo Pro | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price a month | $0 | $88 | $49 |
| Transaction fee | 10% | 0% | 0% |
| Plan price a year | $0 | $1,056 | $588 |
| Fees on $30,000 of sales | $3,000 | $0 | $0 |
| Total a year | $3,000 | $1,056 | $588 |
| Difference | Sherpo Pro costs $468 less | ||
What each is known for, and where Sherpo fits.
Substack is known for its reader network and its app. Ghost is known for the option to self-host, and payments that go straight to your own Stripe account. Sherpo is the option for selling under your own brand, at a flat price.
One flat price
Sherpo is $19 or $49 a month and takes 0% of your sales, whatever you sell.
Your brand, your domain
On Pro your site runs on your own domain, with no Sherpo branding.
Every format in one account
Courses, paid blogs, files, live portfolios and memberships, with one login and one customer list.
Switching from Substack or Ghost?
Contact us and tell us what you are moving. Our team handles the move with you, content and customers included.
Substack vs Ghost: common questions.
Still curious? Talk to us
What is the difference between Substack and Ghost?
Substack is a publishing platform for newsletters, podcasts and video, known for its reader network and its app. Ghost is an open-source publishing platform for websites, newsletters and paid memberships, known for the option to self-host and for payments that go straight to your own Stripe account.
Which is cheaper, Substack or Ghost?
At $2,500 a month, Ghost(Pro) Publisher is the cheaper of the two. For a business earning $2,500 a month in $50 orders with 10,000 members, Substack costs $3,000 a year and Ghost(Pro) Publisher costs $1,056. Sherpo Pro, with unlimited customers, costs less than both: $588 a year. At 5,000 members, Ghost(Pro) Publisher is $756 a year. Sherpo Pro stays at $588, because its price does not change with your list. These Ghost(Pro) prices are for yearly billing.
Does Substack take a cut of sales?
Substack charges 10% of paid subscriptions. Card processing is charged separately by the payment provider. Sherpo takes 0% on every plan.
Does Ghost take a cut of sales?
Not on Ghost(Pro) Publisher: its platform fee is 0%. Card processing is charged separately by the payment provider. Sherpo takes 0% on every plan.
Can I use my own domain on Substack, Ghost and Sherpo?
On Sherpo Pro, your site runs on your own domain, with no Sherpo branding. Ghost also supports custom domains. Substack charges a one-time $50 for a custom domain.
Can AI run my store on Substack, Ghost or Sherpo?
On Sherpo, yes: the Merchant MCP is on every plan, so Claude and other assistants can create products, prices and coupons in your account. Substack has a read-only MCP server, for bestseller publications only. Ghost does not have an official MCP server.
Is there an alternative to Substack and Ghost?
Yes, Sherpo. It charges a flat $19 or $49 a month and takes 0% of sales. It sells courses, paid blogs, files, live portfolios and memberships from one account. On Pro, it runs under your own brand and domain.
What does Sherpo offer that Substack and Ghost do not?
Neither Substack nor Ghost offers online courses, quizzes, certificates, live portfolios or buyers’ AI access to every product through MCP. Sherpo includes them.
Can I switch from Substack or Ghost to Sherpo?
Yes. Contact us and tell us what you are moving. Our team handles the move with you, content and customers included.
Can I try Sherpo before I leave Substack or Ghost?
Yes. Lite and Pro start with a 14-day free trial, and your Sherpo site can stay offline until you launch. You can set everything up while your current account keeps running.
See what you would keep.
Start your free trial, or put your own numbers into the fee calculator.
- 14-day free trial
- Sherpo takes 0% of your sales
- Help moving over