> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://documentation.outpost.pub/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Outpost vs. Substack

> How the Ghost + Outpost stack compares to Substack for independent publishers.

Substack is a widely used platform for paid newsletters. Here's how the Ghost + Outpost combination compares.

## Side-by-side comparison

| Feature               | Substack                                                                                          | Ghost + Outpost                                                |
| --------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Hosting               | Substack-hosted (no choice)                                                                       | Ghost (Pro) or self-hosted — you control it                    |
| Custom domain         | Yes, with a \$50 setup fee                                                                        | Yes, no setup fee                                              |
| Revenue share         | 10% of subscription revenue                                                                       | None (you keep 100% minus Stripe fees)                         |
| Design/branding       | Templated                                                                                         | Full theme control                                             |
| Newsletters           | Built-in                                                                                          | Built-in                                                       |
| Tiers/pricing         | Limited                                                                                           | Fully customizable                                             |
| Podcasts              | Basic                                                                                             | Deep integrations (Transistor, Supercast, Megaphone, and more) |
| 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 direct subscribers only — subscribers who pay through the Substack app can't move with you | Full control and portability                                   |
| 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 — and the gap widens as you grow.

## Ownership and portability

On Substack, your publication lives on Substack's servers. Migrating away means exporting your subscriber list and moving to a new platform. You can take your content, your email list, and the subscribers who pay you directly.

Substack increasingly encourages readers to subscribe through the Substack iOS app. Those subscribers have a payment relationship with Substack, not with you — and you can't take them with you if you leave.

With Ghost + Outpost, you own your infrastructure. Your content, members, theme, data, and domain are entirely yours.

## Values and governance

The two stacks are owned differently, and ownership shapes incentives. Substack is a venture-funded company. Ghost is an independent non-profit, and Outpost is a member-services cooperative — neither answers to investors, and neither has a business model that depends on taking a share of your revenue.

Content policy differs as well. Ghost (Pro) and Outpost prohibit hate speech in their terms of service. Substack has taken a more permissive stance: it has declined to remove — and through its paid subscriptions, helps monetize — overtly pro-Nazi and extremist publications, a position its leadership has publicly defended. That reporting drew sustained criticism and prompted some prominent writers to leave the platform. If who you share a platform with, and whose work your subscription fees help fund, matters to you or your readers, weigh that difference.

## Who should use Substack

* You're just starting out and want zero setup friction
* You don't need customization or integrations
* Your revenue is small enough that a 10% share costs less than a flat monthly fee

## 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 your tools to be as independent as your publication

For the practical steps of moving from Substack, see [Migrating to Outpost](/faq/migrating-to-outpost).