Software · head to head
Ghost CMS vs TinyLetter
The short version
- 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; TinyLetter the Internet Archive's capture of TinyLetter's homepage on 31 December 2020 stated 'Sign Up Free' and 'all for free', confirming TinyLetter (owned by Mailchimp/The Rocket Science Group) carried no subscription fee at that time; the domain now redirects to Mailchimp's paid pricing page.
- They diverge on capability: Ghost CMS covers Publishing platform, TinyLetter covers Newsletter publishing.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Ghost CMS and TinyLetter actually diverge.
| Attribute | Ghost CMS | TinyLetter |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | freemium | free |
| Platforms | Web, Self-hosted | Web |
| Founded | 2013 | 2011 |
Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).
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 TinyLetter
- Newsletter publishing
- Email templates
- Subscriber management
- Archive creation
- Email delivery
- Simple editor
Both cover
- 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 TinyLetter
- Self hosting a headless or full stack publishing platformnot TinyLetter
TinyLetter
- Simple newslettersnot Ghost CMS
- Subscriber communicationnot Ghost CMS
- Email distributionnot Ghost CMS
- Archive buildingnot 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
TinyLetter
- The Internet Archive's capture of TinyLetter's homepage on 31 December 2020 stated 'Sign Up Free' and 'all for free', confirming TinyLetter (owned by Mailchimp/The Rocket Science Group) carried no subscription fee at that time; the domain now redirects to Mailchimp's paid pricing page.
Pricing, plan by plan
Ghost CMS
Free- Free Self-HostedFree
- Open source
- Self-hosted
- Basic features
- Creator$29/month
- Email newsletters
- Memberships
- Analytics
- Business$99/month
- Advanced analytics
- Priority support
- Custom integrations
TinyLetter
Free- FreeFree
- Unlimited newsletters
- Unlimited subscribers
- Email delivery
Which should you pick?
Choose Ghost CMS if
- You need publishing platform.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, Self-hosted.
- You also want email newsletters.
Choose TinyLetter if
- You need newsletter publishing.
- You want to start without paying.
- You also want email templates.
Questions people ask
- Is Ghost CMS or TinyLetter better?
- Neither clearly leads. Ghost CMS starts at Free and TinyLetter at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Ghost CMS or TinyLetter?
- Ghost CMS starts at Free and TinyLetter at Free.
- Does Ghost CMS or TinyLetter run on more platforms?
- Ghost CMS runs on Web, Self-hosted. TinyLetter runs on Web.
- Can I use Ghost CMS for free?
- Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
- 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 TinyLetter is typically brought in for.
- What can Ghost CMS do that TinyLetter cannot?
- Ghost CMS covers Publishing platform, Email newsletters, Membership management, Analytics. TinyLetter covers Newsletter publishing, Email templates, Subscriber management, Archive creation. Both handle Web support.