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Ghost vs Substack: catalog facts
Ghost	Substack
Freemium Free to self-host; the hosted service is paid after a 14-day trial.	Free Free to start a publication; writers can charge readers for subscriptions.
Web, Self-hosted	Web
Website, newsletter and paid subscriptions in one product Clean editor with rich media cards	Newsletter, blog and podcast in one publication Built-in paid subscriptions
Hosted plans are paid after the trial Self-hosting requires running and updating your own server	Hosted only, with limited design control Discovery and reading revolve around the Substack app and feed
Self-hosted, Hosted service	Web application, Hosted service
Open source	Closed source
License not stated	License not stated
Not stated if an account is needed	Account needed
Needs internet	Needs internet
Official website Full listing and sources Checked October 1, 2026	Official website Full listing and sources Checked October 2, 2026

Catalog facts only. Anything “not stated” is unconfirmed. Check full listings for details.