CloudgateTemplates Get Cloudgate

Open-source alternative to Substack

Ghost is a free, open-source Substack alternative for a blog and paid newsletter you own. Substack keeps 10% of your paid subscriptions; self-hosted Ghost takes no cut, and your subscriber list stays with you.

1 alternative Free app Our pick: Ghost

At a glance

App Good for Code Import from Substack Ease of use
Ghost Writers, creators and small publishers who want a blog, newsletter and paid memberships in one place Code Open source Import from Substack Yes Some setup

Why look for an alternative to Substack?

Substack is a publishing platform for newsletters. Writers publish posts that go to a web page and to subscribers' inboxes, and can charge for paid subscriptions, with Substack handling the website, payments and email.

Writers look for an alternative mainly because of the fee: Substack keeps 10% of paid subscription revenue, which becomes a large sum as a newsletter grows. Others want their own design and domain, more control over their brand, or to keep their reader list somewhere they control. A self-hosted Ghost site does the same job of website, newsletter and paid memberships, with payments going straight to your own Stripe account and no share taken.

How Ghost compares

Ghost

Publish a blog and paid newsletter on a site that you own.

The leading self-hosted alternative to Substack. You publish posts that go to your website and your subscribers' inboxes at once, with free and paid memberships through your own Stripe account, your own domain and your own design. Ghost takes no share of your income.

What you gain
  • Ghost takes no cut of your subscription income; you pay only Stripe's card fees
  • Your subscriber list and posts stay on your own server
  • Your own web address and design, not a platform's
What is different
  • You connect an email sending service yourself, and newsletters need Mailgun
  • Readers do not find you through a platform's own feed or app
  • You choose and look after your theme yourself
Some setup Open source · MIT
Deploy Ghost About Ghost

Moving from Substack

Ghost has a built-in Substack import for your posts. Export your subscribers from Substack as a CSV and import them as members; connect the same Stripe account and your paid subscribers keep paying without signing up again. Point your domain at Ghost, and tell readers about the move in a last Substack post. Newsletters on self-hosted Ghost are sent through Mailgun, so set that up first.

Questions

What is the best open-source alternative to Substack?

Ghost is the free, open-source alternative to Substack for paid newsletters in the catalogue today. The leading self-hosted alternative to Substack. You publish posts that go to your website and your subscribers' inboxes at once, with free and paid memberships through your own Stripe account, your own domain and your own design. Ghost takes no share of your income.

How much does Substack take compared with Ghost?

Substack keeps 10% of paid subscription revenue, on top of card fees. Self-hosted Ghost takes nothing; you pay Stripe's card fees, your server and Mailgun for sending.

Will I lose readers who found me through Substack?

Your subscribers come with you. What you lose is Substack's app and recommendation network, which help new readers find you, so plan other ways to grow, such as search, social media and recommendations from other writers.

Is it really free?

Yes, the app is free. To run them you need Cloudgate and a server. Use hosted Cloudgate, which can also provide the server, or install Cloudgate on a server of your own for free. Cloudgate's plans and prices are at cloudgate.octabyte.io/pricing. One server can run several apps.

Do I need a developer?

No. Cloudgate installs the app on your server and gives it a secure web address. You use it in your browser.