How Beacons and Ghost compare
Beacons is more than a link page. A link-in-bio, digital product store, email marketing, media kit, brand-deal invoicing, and AI tools give a creator a mini back office without leaving the app. For someone monetizing social attention with sponsors and downloads, it is a clever, generous bundle.
Ghost is what serious independent publishing looks like. A fast, beautifully themed site, newsletters sent from your own domain, paid memberships with zero platform fees, comments, and a clean editor, all open source and portable. Ghost(Pro) hosting removes the ops, and the whole thing respects the writer and the reader.
Where they are different
Beacons
- Beacons is a profile with tools.
- Beacons emails from its platform.
- Beacons sells downloads and links.
Ghost
- Ghost monetises by membership.
- Ghost sends email and stops.
- Ghost is publishing-first.
Choose Beacons when you are monetizing a social audience with sponsors, downloads, and a bio link.
Choose Ghost when writing is the business and you want paid subscriptions with no platform cut, on open-source software.
Compare features
What's on Beacons and Ghost
A check means that capability is available. Beacons and Ghost are marked only when the offer is comparable, not the same product.
Site and brand
- Workspace siteBeacons: IncludedGhost: Included
- Custom domainBeacons: IncludedGhost: Included
- Theme and fontsBeacons: IncludedGhost: Included
- Brand kitBeacons: IncludedGhost: Not included
Public content
- BlogBeacons: Not includedGhost: Included
- Reader engagementBeacons: Not includedGhost: Included
- Shop pagesBeacons: IncludedGhost: Not included
Audience and email
- AudienceBeacons: IncludedGhost: Included
- Marketing emailsBeacons: IncludedGhost: Included
- Campaign workflowsBeacons: IncludedGhost: Not included
Commerce
- Shop paymentsBeacons: IncludedGhost: Not included
- Orders and fulfillmentBeacons: IncludedGhost: Not included
- Scheduling and bookingsLink to external scheduling available on Starter.Beacons: IncludedGhost: Not included
Team
- Admin usersBeacons: IncludedGhost: Included
- Per-admin permissionsBeacons: Not includedGhost: Included
- AI AssistantBeacons: IncludedGhost: Not included
* Note: This table does not capture every feature of Beacons or Ghost, and is not intended as a comprehensive list. We keep this page current, but Beacons or Ghost may add or remove features that are not shown here.
Beacons vs Ghost pricing
Compare plans, prices, and what it costs to get started.
Beacons
Current plans and prices
See what Beacons charges on their pricing page.
Ghost
Current plans and prices
See what Ghost charges on their pricing page.
Cardel: An alternative to
Beacons and Ghost
You don't pay until you publish.
Cardel provides a home for your craft. Share and sell your work, grow your audience, and bring your community together on a site of your own.
Common questions
Is Cardel an alternative to Beacons or Ghost?
Cardel is a home for your craft: a site of your own with a blog, newsletter, shop, community, and one inbox. It can replace Beacons or Ghost when you want your work, audience, and sales in one place. The feature list on this page shows where Beacons and Ghost are marked.
Can I use Cardel with Beacons or Ghost?
Yes. Cardel pages can link out to other products, so you can keep Beacons or Ghost for what it does best and bring the rest of your work to Cardel.
How much does Cardel cost compared with Beacons and Ghost?
You don't pay for Cardel until you publish. Choose Starter, Pro, or Studio when your site goes live. Beacons and Ghost set their own prices, so check their pricing pages on this page for current plans.
How do I switch from Beacons or Ghost to Cardel?
Start with Build Your Site, set up your home, and bring your work over at your own pace. You do not have to move everything on day one.