---
{"title": "Ghost alternatives in 2026: compare newsletter tools", "description": "Compare Ghost alternatives, including beehiiv, Kit, Mailchimp, Substack, and Connections Newsletter, by publishing features, email limits, and plan costs.", "url": "https://uncommoncomforts.com/ghost-alternatives/", "date": "2026-10-31"}
---
Compare Ghost alternatives, including beehiiv, Kit, Mailchimp, Substack, and Connections Newsletter, by publishing features, email limits, and plan costs.

Ghost alternatives include beehiiv, Kit, Mailchimp, Substack, and Connections Newsletter. Ghost combines website publishing, email newsletters, and membership tools. [^1] Connections Newsletter lets you publish posts to a public archive and send them by email as separate actions. [^2]

| Option | Plan price | Email sending | Publishing and audience features |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ghost | Free 14-day trial. [^1] | Built-in email newsletters. [^1] | Website publishing, email newsletters, and paid memberships. [^1] |
| beehiiv | Lite costs $49 per month with yearly billing. [^3] | Unlimited email sends. [^3] | Landing pages and paid subscriptions with custom tiers, paywalls, and offers. [^3] [^3] |
| Kit | not published | Automated email sequences. [^4] | Email marketing features for creators and a Growth Concierge team. [^4] [^4] |
| Mailchimp | not published | Standard sends up to 6,000 emails each month. [^5] | Email marketing features for creators, according to Kit. [^4] |
| Substack | not published | not published | Discussions you can join and a call to start your own publication, according to Substack. [^6] [^6] |
| Connections Newsletter | Free, $0; Pro, $39.99 a month; Business, $99.99 a month. [^2] [^2] [^2] | Free sends about 300 emails a week. [^2] | Public archive, RSS feed, embedded signup form, subscriber CSV download, and tag-based sending. [^2] [^2] [^2] |

## Why people who run things look past Ghost

Ghost brings together website publishing, email newsletters, and paid subscriptions for members. [^1] It supports publishing through a website and email newsletter. [^1] Its membership tools show who signs up, who pays, and what members read. [^1] People can sign up for free or purchase a paid subscription with monthly or yearly premium tiers. [^1]

Those features make the publishing model an important part of the choice. Someone focused on sending regular newsletters may want to compare how other tools handle publishing, audience growth, and email delivery.

Another consideration is the cost of trying a different approach. Ghost offers a free 14-day trial. [^1] Connections Newsletter lets you create publications for free, with no paid tier required just to create a publication. [^2] Comparing these options means looking at the publishing features, email limits, audience tools, and plan costs that matter to the work.

## beehiiv: newsletter publishing and paid subscriptions

beehiiv provides a recommendation network. [^3] Its Lite plan costs $49 per month with yearly billing. [^3] It also provides a recommendation network. [^3]

The Lite plan costs $49 per month with yearly billing. [^3] These details make email volume and the intended way of earning from a publication useful points to compare when reviewing the plan. Check the current plan terms and the other features needed before choosing.

## Kit: email marketing for creators

Kit is an email marketing platform trusted by more than 550,000 creator business owners. [^4] Kit provides Visual Automations for creating automated email sequences. [^4] These sequences can be used to write emails that continue selling while the creator works on other things. [^4]

Kit offers a Growth Concierge team that gives creators access to an email strategist, deliverability specialist, and solutions team. [^4] This support option may be worth examining if help with email marketing is part of the decision. Compare the available support, audience tools, and sending needs against the work the newsletter requires.

## Mailchimp: email marketing with an SMS option

Mailchimp is an email marketing tool whose plan costs and sending limits are not stated in the sources here. An SMS add-on is not covered on this page, so confirm with the current plan details whether messaging matters to the work. This makes checking country availability and approvals important when comparing Mailchimp with other newsletter tools.

The available facts here establish the SMS option but do not give enough detail to compare every Mailchimp plan or its full publishing features. Check the current plan details, email sending limits, and any additional charges that apply to the intended use before deciding whether it covers the work.

## Substack: publishing and reader discussions

The available information does not establish its current pricing or the full set of newsletter management features, so those details need checking before comparing it with other options.

Consider what kind of publishing experience is needed and whether the available features support that work. Check the current terms, email delivery arrangements, audience tools, and any charges that could apply to the planned publication. Those details will help establish whether Substack is a suitable alternative for the intended publishing routine.

## Connections Newsletter: public archives and email publishing

Connections Newsletter is made by the team that publishes this site. It is a web app hosted on Cloudflare Pages. [^2] You can publish a post to a public page and send it by email as separate actions. [^2] Every publication gets a public page with an archive, an RSS feed, and a form that can be embedded on your own site. [^2]

New subscribers start as pending and become active only after they confirm a second time. [^2] You can turn on a welcome email with a subject and message for new subscribers. [^2] When sending a post, you can choose everyone or only subscribers with any of some tags. [^2] After sending, you can see the post's live numbers and refresh them. [^2]

You can download the subscriber list as a CSV whenever you need to take it elsewhere. [^2] A send can be set to begin at a later time you choose. [^2] A postal address is required before the first send. [^2]

Making publications is free, with no paid tier required to create one. [^2] Connections Free costs $0, and going over a limit stops the feature rather than billing you. [^2] Free sends about 300 emails a week. [^2] Connections Pro costs $39.99 a month and adds premium features across every Connections product. [^2] Connections Business costs $99.99 a month, with higher limits across every Connections product. [^2]

## How to pick the right Ghost alternative

Start with the publishing routine. If a public website and email newsletter are both important, Ghost supports publishing through websites and email newsletters. [^1] Connections Newsletter lets you publish a post to a public page and send it by email as separate actions, with an archive and RSS feed for each publication. [^2] [^2]

Its Lite plan costs $49 per month with yearly billing. [^3] Check the complete plan terms before comparing the overall cost.

If email marketing for creator businesses is the main concern, Kit offers Visual Automations for creating automated email sequences. [^4] Kit is trusted by more than 550,000 creator business owners. [^4] Its Growth Concierge team includes an email strategist and deliverability specialist. [^4]

For a publication that needs a public archive, subscriber confirmation, and straightforward email sending, Connections Newsletter provides these features and lets you download subscribers as a CSV. [^2] [^2] [^2] Its free sending allowance is about 300 emails a week. [^2] Check how many emails are needed, whether subscriber groups need to receive different posts, and whether a postal address is ready before the first send. [^2] [^2]

## Things to check before you choose

Check the plan price against the number of emails expected each week or month. Connections Newsletter's free sending allowance is about 300 emails a week, while Connections Pro costs $39.99 a month. [^2] [^2] beehiiv's Lite plan costs $49 per month with yearly billing. [^3]

Confirm how subscribers are collected and managed. Connections Newsletter uses double opt-in, allows subscriber downloads as CSV files, and supports sending to subscribers selected by tags. [^2] [^2] [^2] Kit is an email marketing platform trusted by more than 550,000 creator business owners. [^4] Check each alternative's current documentation for equivalent details before making a comparison.

Finally, confirm the features that are necessary for the publication, including the way posts reach readers, the available audience tools, and any paid options required. Ghost supports free and paid memberships. [^1] The right choice depends on which of these documented features matches the publishing work and the budget.

## Frequently asked questions

### What are the main Ghost alternatives?

Options to compare include beehiiv, Kit, Mailchimp, Substack, and Connections Newsletter. Ghost combines website publishing, email newsletters, and membership tools. [^1] Connections Newsletter publishes posts to a public page and can send them by email as a separate action. [^2] Compare the specific features and plan terms required for the publication.

### Is Connections Newsletter free to use?

Making a publication in Connections Newsletter is free, and there is no paid tier required just to create one. [^2] Connections Free costs $0, and exceeding a limit stops the affected feature rather than triggering a bill. [^2] Free sends about 300 emails a week. [^2] Connections Pro costs $39.99 a month, while Connections Business costs $99.99 a month. [^2] [^2]

### Can Connections Newsletter publish posts on a website and by email?

Yes. Connections Newsletter lets you publish a post to a public page and send it by email as separate actions. [^2] Every publication gets a public page with an archive, an RSS feed, and a form that can be embedded on your own site. [^2] This means a publication can have a public reading location as well as email delivery. A postal address is required before the first send. [^2]

### Does beehiiv offer unlimited email sends?

The facts covered here do not state whether beehiiv offers unlimited email sends. Its Lite plan costs $49 per month with yearly billing. [^3] beehiiv provides a recommendation network. [^3] Check the current plan terms to confirm email sending limits and which features are included.

### Does Ghost have built-in email newsletters?

Yes. Ghost includes built-in email newsletters so publishers can deliver posts by email to their audience. [^1] It also supports publishing through websites and email newsletters. [^1] Its membership tools show who signs up, who pays, and what members read. [^1] If comparing Ghost with another tool, check how the alternative handles public publishing, subscriber management, email sending limits, and the plan features needed for the intended publication.

Making publications is free; there is no paid tier for creating a publication. [^2] Free sends about 300 emails a week. [^2] - [Visit Connections Newsletter](/go/start-connections-newsletter)

## Sources

[^1]: Ghost, ghost.org, read 2026-10-23 (https://ghost.org)
[^2]: Connections Newsletter's own description of itself (the product of this site's publisher) (/go/start-connections-newsletter)
[^3]: beehiiv, beehiiv.com, read 2026-10-08 (https://www.beehiiv.com)
[^4]: Kit, kit.com, read 2026-10-08 (https://kit.com)
[^5]: Mailchimp, mailchimp.com/pricing, read 2026-10-08 (https://mailchimp.com/pricing/)
[^6]: Substack, substack.com, read 2026-10-08 (https://substack.com)