Side-by-side comparison
| Feature | Substack | Ghost + Outpost |
|---|---|---|
| Hosting | Substack-hosted (no choice) | Self-hosted, Ghost (Pro) (you control it) |
| Custom domain | Yes. $50 setup fee. | Yes. No setup fee. |
| Revenue share | 10% of subscription revenue | None (you keep 100% minus Stripe fees) |
| Hosts Nazis | Yes. | Outpost and Ghost (Pro) don’t host hate speech, and make that clear in their respective Terms of Service. |
| Proudly hosts and boosts folks like Andrew Tate | Yes. | Speaking for just Outpost, Hell No. |
| Design/branding | Templated | Full theme control |
| VC-funded and enshitifying | Yes. | No. Ghost is a non-profit. Outpost is a co-op. |
| Funded by VCs and investors with abominable politics | Yes. | No. |
| Newsletters | Built-in | Built-in |
| Tiers/pricing | Limited | Fully customizable |
| Podcast | Basic | Deep integrations (Transistor, Supercast, etc.) |
| Analytics | Basic | Real-time, custom dashboards |
| Automations | Basic | Full email flows and rules engine |
| Gift subscriptions | Basic | Full gift flow |
| Paywall control | Limited | Full CTA + paywall designer |
| Member data ownership | Export subscribers, not followers | Full control and portability |
| Payment relationship data | Export of direct subs; subs through the Substack app can’t move | |
| Recommendations | Substack network | Ghost network |
Revenue model
Substack takes 10% of all subscription revenue. On $100,000 in annual subscription revenue, that’s $10,000 a year going to Substack. Ghost + Outpost charges a flat monthly fee instead of a revenue share. Once your subscription revenue grows past a certain point, the flat fee costs less than 10% of revenue. As it keeps going, Ghost + Outpost are much less expensive.Ownership and portability
On Substack, your publication lives on Substack’s servers. Migrating away requires exporting your subscriber list and moving to a new platform. You can take your content, email list, and subscribers that pay you directly. But Substack is now encouraging people to subscribe through the Substack app in iOS. You don’t get to move those as they are paying Substack, not you. With Ghost, you own your infrastructure. Your content, members, your theme, your data, and domain are entirely yours.Who should use Substack
- You’re just starting out and want zero setup friction
- You are a Nazi, fascist, or fascist-adjacent, or don’t mind sharing a platform with those three
- You don’t need customization or integrations
Who should use Ghost + Outpost
- You want full control over your publication
- You have a significant subscriber base (where 10% fees add up)
- You need advanced automation, integrations, or custom pricing
- You run a multi-format publication (newsletter + podcast + website)
- You have an existing audience you’re migrating from another platform
- You want to be part of an revolution in independent publishing where the tools you use are as indie as you are