How Ghost and Outseta compare
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.
Outseta is the quiet workhorse behind many paid memberships and small SaaS products. Subscription billing, authentication and gated content, a CRM, email marketing, and a support desk come together so a founder can add a paying membership to any site they already have. It is well designed, honest, and built by people who use it.
Where they are different
Ghost
- Ghost monetises by membership.
- Ghost sends email and stops.
- Ghost is publishing-first.
Outseta
- Outseta attaches to a site you build elsewhere.
- Outseta bills subscriptions.
- Outseta's support desk handles tickets.
Choose Ghost when writing is the business and you want paid subscriptions with no platform cut, on open-source software.
Choose Outseta when you sell a subscription and need billing, logins, CRM, and support in one place behind your own site.
Compare features
What's on Ghost and Outseta
A check means that capability is available. Ghost and Outseta are marked only when the offer is comparable, not the same product.
Site and brand
- Workspace siteGhost: IncludedOutseta: Not included
- Custom domainGhost: IncludedOutseta: Not included
Public content
- BlogGhost: IncludedOutseta: Not included
Audience and email
- AudienceGhost: IncludedOutseta: Included
- Email on your domainGhost: IncludedOutseta: Included
- Marketing emailsGhost: IncludedOutseta: Included
- Campaign workflowsGhost: Not includedOutseta: Included
Messaging
- Built-in chatGhost: Not includedOutseta: Included
- Messaging CenterGhost: Not includedOutseta: Included
Commerce
- Shop paymentsGhost: Not includedOutseta: Included
Team
- Admin usersGhost: IncludedOutseta: Included
- Per-admin permissionsGhost: IncludedOutseta: Included
* Note: This table does not capture every feature of Ghost or Outseta, and is not intended as a comprehensive list. We keep this page current, but Ghost or Outseta may add or remove features that are not shown here.
Ghost vs Outseta pricing
Compare plans, prices, and what it costs to get started.
Ghost
Current plans and prices
See what Ghost charges on their pricing page.
Outseta
Current plans and prices
See what Outseta charges on their pricing page.
Cardel: An alternative to
Ghost and Outseta
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 Ghost or Outseta?
Cardel is a home for your craft: a site of your own with a blog, newsletter, shop, community, and one inbox. It can replace Ghost or Outseta when you want your work, audience, and sales in one place. The feature list on this page shows where Ghost and Outseta are marked.
Can I use Cardel with Ghost or Outseta?
Yes. Cardel pages can link out to other products, so you can keep Ghost or Outseta for what it does best and bring the rest of your work to Cardel.
How much does Cardel cost compared with Ghost and Outseta?
You don't pay for Cardel until you publish. Choose Starter, Pro, or Studio when your site goes live. Ghost and Outseta set their own prices, so check their pricing pages on this page for current plans.
How do I switch from Ghost or Outseta 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.