Curated vs Ghost (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Curated and Ghost share a 2.2 GPA, and only Curated has a free plan.
Checked Nov 12, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 12, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
Curated grades higher on the free plan. Ghost grades higher on platforms. They get the same grade on value for money, features and ease of use.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Curated
Newsletter platform for link-based, editorial issues
Ghost
Open source publishing with newsletters and paid memberships
Which one is for you
Pick Curated if
- Fits if your newsletter is a weekly set of links with notes
- Works for publishers with under 1,500 subscribers who want every feature free
Look elsewhere if
- Not for you if you want a card-free start, as a card is added before the first send
- Pricey if you grow, with $189 at 15,000 and $399 at 50,000 subscribers
- Too light for automation or ordinary marketing email, since it's built for editorial issues
- Watch out: above 50,000 subscribers there is no published price, and invoices need a $1,000 minimum
Pick Ghost if
- Fits if you want your own site, a newsletter and paid memberships in one place
- Works for solo writers who want to avoid platform fees on payments
Look elsewhere if
- Tight if you want paid subscriptions: they need Publisher at $29 a month
- Watch out: Starter and Publisher stop at 1,000 members, and you are asked to upgrade after that
- Watch out: Stripe's own fees still apply on payments
- Pricey if you want a team: 3 staff users on Publisher, 15 on Business at $199
- Skip it if you want a desktop or phone app, since only a browser admin is listed
How we grade them
| 2.2GPACuratedFair | 2.2GPAGhostFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | C$39 a month for 2,500 subscribers, $69 for 5,000 and $129 for 10,000. Ordinary at first, and in the dearer quarter from 5,000. | C$15 a month on yearly billing ($18 monthly) for 1,000 members is the middle of this category. Publisher, with paid subscriptions, is $29. |
| Free plan and trial | BFree up to 1,500 subscribers with every feature, sending included, though a card is added before the first issue. | CA 14-day free trial. The listing does not say whether a card is needed, and there is no free plan. |
| Features | CLink collection, issue assembly, archive, sponsorships, paid subscriptions and analytics. It does that one job fully, which is a smaller job than general email. | CNewsletters, memberships, a website and analytics. Starter has no paid subscriptions, custom themes or custom fields, and the pages read show no marketing automation. |
| Ease of use | CNo store rating on record. A web app where you build issues yourself. | CA web admin with no rating on record. You pick a theme and set up a site as well as a newsletter. |
| Platforms and integrations | CWeb with Stripe for payments. No other integrations are listed. | BWeb only, with Stripe, Zapier, Slack, Mailchimp, ActiveCampaign, Google Analytics, Discord and Plausible. |
| Best for | link-based editorial newsletters | publishers who want a site and newsletter in one |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: Curated and Ghost. How we grade
Price against what you get
Curated starts at $39 a month and scores 2.0 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Ghost starts at $15 a month and scores 2.3.
Ghost scores higher and starts $24 a month lower. Of the other email marketing and newsletter tools on the chart, 47 score higher than Curated for less, and 16 score higher than Ghost for less.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Where they differ
- Ghost is open source, according to its own site.
- Curated also covers reports.
At a glance
| Curated | Ghost | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free trial |
| Starts at | $39 per month for up to 2,500 subscribers, billed monthly | $15 per month for up to 1,000 members, billed yearly ($18 billed monthly) |
| Free plan | Free up to 1,500 subscribers with every feature included, including sending. A card is added before the first issue is sent. | None |
| Free trial | None listed | 14-day free trial of Ghost(Pro) |
| Web | ||
| Made by | Curated | Ghost Foundation |
| Price read from | curated.co | ghost.org |
| Checked | Nov 13, 2026 | Nov 12, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Curated
- Price is set by subscriber count across all publications, and the page lists a $399 a month tier at up to 50,000 subscribers.
- Above 50,000 subscribers there is no published price; you contact the vendor.
- Monthly email quota is 31 times the plan's subscriber limit.
- Paying by invoice requires a minimum commitment of $1,000.
Ghost
- Paid subscriptions, custom themes and custom fields need the Publisher plan; Starter has none of them.
- Starter and Publisher cap out at 1,000 members, and the page says you are notified to upgrade as members grow.
- Ghost takes no transaction fee on payments, but Stripe's payment processor fees still apply.
- Only a browser-based admin is listed; no desktop or mobile apps appear on the pages read.
Key features
Curated
- Link collection
- Save links with a bookmarklet or by emailing them to a private address, with team members able to contribute.
- Issue assembly
- Import saved links into the next scheduled issue and add an intro, summaries and commentary.
- Web archive
- An optional publication site with searchable back issues, usable on your own domain at no extra fee.
- Sponsorships
- Handles sponsorship inquiries and a bookings calendar for the publication.
- Paid subscriptions
- Paid newsletters through a connected Stripe account; Curated says it takes 0% commission.
- Analytics
- Subscriber-level stats and per-issue reports on who read what and which links were clicked.
Ghost
- Newsletters built in
- Posts can go out as email newsletters. The pricing page lists multiple newsletters, email templates and editable links after sending.
- Paid memberships
- Members sign up free or pay through Stripe. Publisher and above include paid subscriptions, tips, premium tiers and special offers.
- Own website and themes
- Every plan includes a website with a custom domain. Marketplace and custom themes start on the Publisher plan.
- Member analytics
- Shows who is signing up, who is paying and what members read, with advanced analytics on Publisher and higher.
- Open source software
- The foundation describes Ghost as open source, and its developer docs include a hosting guide for running it yourself.
Plans
Curated
Free$0
per month for up to 1,500 subscribers
All features included. You add a card before sending your first issue but are not charged while at or under 1,500 subscribers.
Up to 2,500 subscribers$39
per month for up to 2,500 subscribers, billed monthly
Price rises with the list: $69 up to 5,000, $129 up to 10,000 subscribers, and $189 up to 15,000.
Up to 25,000 subscribers$299
per month for up to 25,000 subscribers, billed monthly
Steps continue at $399 for 25,001 to 50,000 subscribers; above 50,000 the vendor asks you to get in touch.
Ghost
Starter$15
per month for up to 1,000 members, billed yearly ($18 billed monthly)
1 staff user, a default theme with design settings, and email newsletters. Price rises with the member count.
Publisher$29
per month for up to 1,000 members, billed yearly
3 staff users, custom themes, paid subscriptions, advanced analytics and custom fields. Price rises with members.
Business$199
per month for up to 10,000 members, billed yearly
15 staff users, priority support, higher usage limits and early access to features.
CustomCustom
Unlimited members and staff users, a dedicated IP address and a 99.9% uptime SLA. Sold through sales.
Ways to pay less
Curated
No public discounts listed.
Ghost
- Annual discount
Lower price when billed yearly
The Starter plan is $15 a month billed yearly against $18 billed monthly. Yearly and monthly billing toggle on the pricing page.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Curated or Ghost?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Ghost is cheaper to start with: $15 a month, against $39 a month for Curated. Curated starts at $39 per month for up to 2,500 subscribers, billed monthly, and Ghost starts at $15 per month for up to 1,000 members, billed yearly ($18 billed monthly).
Which has a free plan, Curated or Ghost?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only Curated has a free plan. Ghost does not, though it has a free trial.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.