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Ghost CMS vs Mailbrew

Ghost CMS logo

Ghost CMS

News

Modern platform for professional publishing

From
$18/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Mailbrew logo

Mailbrew

News

Your personalized daily digest from across the web

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Mailbrew has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Ghost CMS ghost Pro plans cap members, at 1,000 on both Starter and Publisher and 10,000 on Business; Mailbrew free tier has limited digest count, source limits, and length restrictions
  • They diverge on capability: Ghost CMS covers Publishing platform, Mailbrew covers Custom digests.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Ghost CMS and Mailbrew actually diverge.

Attributes where Ghost CMS and Mailbrew differ
AttributeGhost CMSMailbrew
Starting price$18/monthFree
Pricing modelsubscriptionUnknown
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWeb, Self-hostedWeb
Founded20132019

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (News).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Ghost CMS

  • Publishing platform
  • Email newsletters
  • Membership management
  • Analytics
  • Paywall support
  • SEO optimization
  • Media library
  • API access

Only in Mailbrew

  • Custom digests
  • Multiple sources
  • Email delivery
  • Scheduling
  • Content filtering
  • Twitter
  • Reddit
  • YouTube

Both cover

  • RSS
  • Web support

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Ghost CMS

  • Running a publication or newsletter with paid subscriptionsnot Mailbrew
  • Self hosting a headless or full stack publishing platformnot Mailbrew

Mailbrew

  • Content curationnot Ghost CMS
  • News aggregationnot Ghost CMS
  • Information managementnot Ghost CMS

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Ghost CMS

  • Ghost Pro plans cap members, at 1,000 on both Starter and Publisher and 10,000 on Business
  • Staff users are limited to 1 on Starter and 3 on Publisher
  • Custom themes and integrations require the Publisher plan at $29 a month billed yearly
  • The jump to 10,000 members is the $199 a month Business plan, with nothing between
  • Self hosting is free but installing under a subdirectory needs a custom reverse proxy that Ghost does not officially support

Mailbrew

  • Free tier has limited digest count, source limits, and length restrictions
  • Requires upfront configuration and personalization effort to find settings suited to individual needs
  • Shows all sources without deduplication, potentially resulting in duplicate content in digests
  • Depends on upstream third-party APIs (Twitter, Reddit, YouTube) that can change terms or rate limits independently

Pricing, plan by plan

Ghost CMS

$18/month
  • Starter$18/month
    • For solo blogs and newsletters
    • Your own website
    • Email newsletter
  • Publisher$29/month
    • For custom publications
    • 3 staff users
    • Custom themes
  • Business$199/month
    • For teams scaling up
    • 15 staff users
    • Priority support
  • Custom$null/contact
    • For organizations with complex needs
    • Unlimited staff users
    • Dedicated IP addresses

Mailbrew

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Multiple digest sources
    • Email digest delivery
    • Limited digest count
  • Paid$undefined/mo
    • Unlimited digests
    • Unlimited sources
    • No length limits

Which should you pick?

Choose Ghost CMS if

  • You need publishing platform.
  • You work on Web, Self-hosted.
  • You also want email newsletters.
Ghost CMS review

Choose Mailbrew if

  • You need custom digests.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You also want multiple sources.
Mailbrew review

Questions people ask

Is Ghost CMS or Mailbrew better?
Neither clearly leads. Ghost CMS starts at $18/month and Mailbrew at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Ghost CMS or Mailbrew?
Mailbrew has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $18/month for Ghost CMS and Free for Mailbrew.
Does Ghost CMS or Mailbrew run on more platforms?
Ghost CMS runs on Web, Self-hosted. Mailbrew runs on Web.
Can I use Mailbrew for free?
Yes. Mailbrew has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Ghost CMS starts at $18/month.
What is Ghost CMS best used for?
Ghost CMS is most often used for running a publication or newsletter with paid subscriptions, self hosting a headless or full stack publishing platform. Of those, running a publication or newsletter with paid subscriptions and self hosting a headless or full stack publishing platform are not what Mailbrew is typically brought in for.
What can Ghost CMS do that Mailbrew cannot?
Ghost CMS covers Publishing platform, Email newsletters, Membership management, Analytics. Mailbrew covers Custom digests, Multiple sources, Email delivery, Scheduling. Both handle RSS, Web support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Ghost CMS: How much does Ghost CMS cost?

Ghost(Pro) pricing starts at $18 per month when billed yearly for the Starter plan, with Publisher at $29 per month and Business at $199 per month. All plans include unlimited email sends and enterprise-grade security.

Source
Mailbrew: Is Mailbrew free?

Yes, Mailbrew is free to use as of 2026 after Evernomic's acquisition in November 2025. Free tier includes limited digest count, source limits, and length caps. Paid tier offers unlimited digests, sources, and no length limits.

Source
Ghost CMS: Can I cancel my Ghost subscription anytime?

Yes, users can upgrade, downgrade, or cancel their Ghost subscription anytime without penalties.

Source
Mailbrew: What sources can Mailbrew monitor?

Mailbrew supports RSS feeds, Twitter/X, Reddit, YouTube, Google News, newsletters, and custom integrations.

Source
Ghost CMS: Are there any additional fees with Ghost?

Ghost waives transaction fees on all plans, though payment processor fees still apply. There are no setup fees or hidden charges.

Source
Mailbrew: How does Mailbrew deliver content?

Mailbrew collects content from multiple sources into scheduled email digests. You receive digests at your chosen time with a summary of new items from all your sources.

Source
Mailbrew: Can I access Mailbrew on mobile?

Mailbrew offers a browser-based interface for viewing digests and managing sources, but a dedicated mobile app is not mentioned in available documentation.

Source
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