Ghost vs MailerLite
Ghost and MailerLite are both email marketing tools. Ghost is aimed at creators and small businesses, while MailerLite is aimed at small businesses and creators. MailerLite costs less, from $12/mo versus $18/mo for Ghost. Both have a free plan.
Open-source publishing with memberships
Simple, affordable email marketing
| Pricing | Open source · $18 | Freemium · $12 |
| Starting price | $18/mo | $12/mo |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | 14 days | 14 days |
| Built for | Creators, Small businesses | Small businesses, Creators, Freelancers |
| Platforms | web | web, ios |
| Country | SG · 2013 | LT · 2010 |
| Rating | — | — |
Choose Ghost if
Writers, publishers and companies who want an owned, SEO-strong publication with memberships and no revenue share.
- No revenue share on memberships
- Open source and self-hostable
- Fast, SEO-friendly and focused on publishing
Look elsewhere if: Marketing sites with many page types or people wanting Substack's built-in discovery network.
Choose MailerLite if
Small businesses, bloggers and nonprofits who want a polished tool at a low price.
- Among the lowest prices as lists grow
- Clean, modern editor and templates
- Free plan to get started
Look elsewhere if: Advanced automation or e-commerce personalization needs.
Ghost vs MailerLite pricing
Ghost
- Self-hosted$0MIT license; you run the server and email
- Starter$18/mo$15/mo billed yearly; 1,000 members, 1 staff user
- Publisher$35/mo$29/mo billed yearly; 1,000 members, 3 staff users
- Business$239/mo$199/mo billed yearly; 15 staff users
- CustomCustomUnlimited members and staff
MailerLite
- Free$0250 subscribers, 2,500 emails/mo, 2 seats
- Comfort$12/mo500 subscribers; $10.80/mo billed yearly; 3 seats, 50 automations
- Power$25/mo500 subscribers; $22.50/mo yearly; unlimited emails, seats
- EnterpriseCustom200K+ subscribers, dedicated IP, priority support
Ghost · Key features
- Modern editor with cards, embeds and SEO settings
- Built-in newsletters with Mailgun delivery
- Paid memberships and tiers via Stripe, 0% fees
- Themes (Handlebars) and custom domains
- Native analytics, comments, recommendations and ActivityPub
- REST and Content APIs; self-hostable under MIT
Cons
- Not a general-purpose site builder
- Theme customization requires Handlebars and code
- Self-hosting needs server skills
MailerLite · Key features
- Drag-and-drop, rich text and custom HTML editors
- Automation workflows with triggers and conditions
- Landing pages, websites, forms and pop-ups
- Digital product sales and paid newsletters via Stripe
- Segmentation, groups and A/B testing
- E-commerce integrations and AI writing assistant
Cons
- Approval process can delay new accounts
- Automation less advanced than ActiveCampaign
- Reporting is basic
Ghost vs MailerLite: FAQ
Which is cheaper, Ghost or MailerLite?
MailerLite starts at $12/mo and Ghost at $18/mo. Both prices are checked on the vendors' own pricing pages.
Do Ghost and MailerLite have a free plan?
Yes, both Ghost and MailerLite have a free plan; paid plans add more usage and features.