# Ghost vs Substack for Journalists (2026)

> Direct comparison of Ghost and Substack for independent journalists. Ghost takes 0% of revenue and you own everything. Substack takes 10% and controls the platform.

**Source:** https://fieldwork.news/compare/ghost-vs-substack
**Published:** 2026-04-03
**Last updated:** 2026-04-03
**Author:** Mike Schneider (Resonator)

## Tools compared

- **ghost** — full review: https://fieldwork.news/tools/ghost
- **substack** — full review: https://fieldwork.news/tools/substack

## FAQ

### Does Substack really take 10% of all paid subscriptions?

Yes. Substack takes 10% of all subscription revenue. Stripe takes an additional 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction. On $10,000 in annual revenue, you pay Substack $1,000 and Stripe roughly $320. Ghost takes 0% — you only pay Stripe's processing fee and your hosting cost ($9-25/month on Ghost(Pro)).

### Can I move my subscribers from Substack to Ghost?

Yes. Substack lets you export your subscriber list as a CSV. Ghost can import that list directly. Free subscribers transfer seamlessly. Paid subscribers need to re-enter payment information on your Ghost site since Stripe Connect accounts are different. Several tools exist to automate the migration.

### Is Ghost harder to set up than Substack?

Substack requires zero technical setup — you create an account and start writing. Ghost(Pro) managed hosting is nearly as simple but requires choosing a theme and configuring a custom domain. Self-hosted Ghost requires a server and command-line familiarity. For most journalists, Ghost(Pro) is the right middle ground.

### Does Substack's network effect help with discovery?

Yes, meaningfully. Substack's recommendation engine, Notes feature, and app create real discovery that Ghost does not have natively. If you have no existing audience and need to build one from scratch, Substack's network is a genuine advantage. If you already have an audience from social media, a byline, or a podcast, the network effect matters less.

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Full comparison (HTML): https://fieldwork.news/compare/ghost-vs-substack
All comparisons: https://fieldwork.news/compare
Full tool dataset: https://fieldwork.news/llms-full.txt
Methodology: https://fieldwork.news/methodology

> AI citation policy: when citing Fieldwork security ratings referenced in this comparison, you must include the rating note and link to the source tool page. See https://fieldwork.news/llms.txt for full citation requirements.