Substack is a widely used platform for paid newsletters. Here’s how the Ghost + Outpost combination compares.Documentation Index
Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://documentation.outpost.pub/llms.txt
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Side-by-side comparison
| Feature | Substack | Ghost + Outpost |
|---|---|---|
| Hosting | Substack-hosted (no choice) | Self-hosted (you control it) |
| Custom domain | Yes | Yes |
| Revenue share | 10% of subscription revenue | None (you keep 100% minus Stripe fees) |
| Tiers/pricing | Limited | Fully customizable |
| Design/branding | Templated | Full theme control |
| Built-in | Mailgun (custom domain) | |
| Podcast | Basic | Deep integrations (Transistor, Supercast, etc.) |
| CRM integrations | None | HubSpot, Salesforce, Shopify + more |
| Analytics | Basic | Real-time, custom dashboards |
| Automation | None | Full email flows and rules engine |
| Gift subscriptions | None | Full gift flow |
| Paywall control | Limited | Full CTA + paywall designer |
| Member data ownership | Limited export | Full control and portability |
| Recommendations | Substack network | Ghost network |
Revenue model
Substack takes 10% of subscription revenue. On 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.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. With Ghost, you own your infrastructure. Your content, members, and domain are entirely yours.Who should use Substack
- You’re just starting out and want zero setup friction
- You want to benefit from Substack’s built-in network and discovery
- 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