Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

MailChimp VS Ghost

Compare MailChimp VS Ghost and see what are their differences

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MailChimp logo MailChimp

MailChimp is the best way to design, send, and share email newsletters.

Ghost logo Ghost

Ghost is a fully open source, adaptable platform for building and running a modern online publication. We power blogs, magazines and journalists from Zappos to Sky News.
  • MailChimp Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-10-10
  • Ghost Landing page
    Landing page //
    2022-10-10

MailChimp features and specs

  • Ease of Use
    MailChimp offers an intuitive, user-friendly interface that makes it easy for users to design emails, manage campaigns, and track results.
  • Automation Features
    MailChimp provides robust automation tools that allow users to automate email sequences, send targeted messages, and create automated workflows.
  • Comprehensive Reporting
    The platform offers detailed analytics and reporting tools, giving users insight into campaign performance, open rates, clicks, and more.
  • Integrations
    MailChimp integrates with numerous third-party services and platforms including e-commerce sites, social media platforms, and CRM systems.
  • Freemium Plan
    MailChimp offers a free plan that gives access to essential features, making it a viable option for small businesses and startups.
  • Design Templates
    A wide variety of pre-designed templates are available, making it easier to create professional-looking emails without design expertise.
  • Product Recommendations
    Drive more sales with personalized product recommendations

Possible disadvantages of MailChimp

  • Cost
    As your subscriber list grows, MailChimp's pricing can become quite expensive compared to some other email marketing services.
  • Limited Automation in Free Plan
    The free plan offers limited automation features, which can restrict the ability to implement more comprehensive automated email campaigns.
  • Complexity for Advanced Users
    While it's user-friendly for beginners, advanced users may find that it's not as flexible or customizable as other platforms.
  • Support Limitations
    Customer support for the free plan is limited to email and self-help resources, which may not be sufficient for users needing immediate assistance.
  • Deliverability Issues
    Some users have reported issues with email deliverability, which can impact the effectiveness of their email marketing campaigns.
  • List Management
    Managing large contact lists can be cumbersome, and there have been complaints about the efficiency of list segmentation and organization.

Ghost features and specs

  • User-Friendly Interface
    Ghost offers a clean and intuitive interface that makes content management straightforward, even for those without technical expertise.
  • Speed and Performance
    Ghost is built on modern technology like Node.js which makes it faster and more efficient compared to some traditional CMS platforms.
  • SEO Optimized
    Ghost comes built-in with SEO features like clean URLs, meta tags, and sitemaps which help in improving search engine rankings.
  • Customizable Themes
    Ghost supports a variety of themes that can be easily customized to fit the branding and functionality needs of a website.
  • Markdown Support
    Content creation in Ghost is made easy with Markdown support, allowing writers to focus on text rather than formatting.

Possible disadvantages of Ghost

  • Limited Plugin Ecosystem
    Compared to WordPress, Ghost has a more limited selection of plugins, which might restrict some functionalities users are looking for.
  • Higher Hosting Costs
    Ghost's official hosting is relatively expensive, making it less suitable for users on a tight budget.
  • Technical Knowledge Requirement
    While Ghost is user-friendly, setting it up on a custom server can require a higher level of technical knowledge compared to some other platforms.
  • Less Community Support
    The user community for Ghost is smaller compared to more established platforms like WordPress, which can make it harder to find support and resources.
  • Limited Ecommerce Capabilities
    Ghost is primarily a publishing platform and lacks the more advanced eCommerce functionalities that other CMS platforms might offer out of the box.

Analysis of MailChimp

Overall verdict

  • MailChimp is a popular and generally well-regarded email marketing service, known for its ease of use and robust features.

Why this product is good

  • MailChimp is considered good because it offers a user-friendly interface, a comprehensive set of features including automation, segmentation, and analytics, and a free tier that is suitable for small businesses or individuals just starting out. It also has integrations with various e-commerce and CRM platforms, making it versatile for different marketing needs.

Recommended for

    MailChimp is recommended for small to medium-sized businesses, entrepreneurs, and non-profits who want a cost-effective solution for email marketing. It's also suitable for those new to email marketing who are looking for a simple yet powerful tool to reach their audience and grow their subscriber base.

Analysis of Ghost

Overall verdict

  • Ghost is a highly regarded platform for serious bloggers and publishers who want a minimalistic yet powerful content management system. It is especially beneficial for those who prefer a distraction-free writing environment with the capability to scale and customize as their needs grow.

Why this product is good

  • Ghost is a popular open-source platform designed for professional bloggers and publishers. It is known for its clean design, speed, and ease of use. Ghost offers robust features for content creation, management, and distribution while focusing on providing an optimal writing experience. Additionally, Ghost is built on modern technology stacks and offers flexibility through themes and integrations. It also supports membership and subscription models, making it ideal for those looking to monetize their content.

Recommended for

  • Professional bloggers
  • Content creators looking for a minimalist interface
  • Publishers seeking to monetize their content
  • Developers looking for an open-source platform
  • Organizations that require a fast and reliable CMS
  • Writers who value a focused writing experience

MailChimp videos

WARNING! MailChimp Review: Marketers & Entrepreneurs Stayaway! (Why I left MailChimp)

More videos:

  • Review - Mailchimp Automation Sequence For Beginners (2024) Complete Mailchimp Guide
  • Demo - MailChimp Review & Demo - Top 5 Reasons MailChimp Rocks For Newsletters
  • Review - Mailchimp Review: Pros and Cons

Ghost videos

Why I Moved My Blog From WordPress to Ghost

More videos:

  • Review - Ghost review - CMS for creators to build a membership

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to MailChimp and Ghost)
Email Marketing
100 100%
0% 0
Blogging
0 0%
100% 100
Email Marketing Platforms
CMS
0 0%
100% 100

User comments

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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare MailChimp and Ghost

MailChimp Reviews

  1. Harshi1995
    · intern at ulketz ·
    A great platform for email marketing.

    It is most affordable marketing automation tool . It helps in all in one marketing platform that helps you manage and talk to your clients , customers and others.

    🏁 Competitors: zeta marketing platform, Salesforce Marketing Cloud
  2. Elle Bennett
    · Webmaster at FixedFeeTaxReturn ·
    Good tool for basic email newsletters

    Mailchimp has always been a good solution for sending campaign emails for e-commerce.

  3. Mohit Gupta
    · Small Business Owner at Ecommerce Platform ·
    Mailchimp - Nice Experience with email marketing campaign to use on it.

    This Mailchimp is a very nice email marketing platform to use it. I like its features and all functions for creating emails. It is the best tool to make design, send and share email newsletters.

    🏁 Competitors: Brevo, ActiveCampaign, SendGrid, MailerLite
    👍 Pros:    One of the best thing about mailchimp is, you can use for free and then purchase paid version if you like, no cc nothing required.
    👎 Cons:    Everything is alright, there is no cons

Top 10 Bulk Email Verifier and Validation Services Compared
It validates your email lists to check for invalid or undeliverable emails so that you can maximize your marketing campaign potential. You can either upload your email list and clean it in bulk using the CSV format, or integrate with MailboxValidator API. MailboxValidator interface is fully integrated with major ESP (Email Service Provider). Alternatively, a list can be...
10 Best Campaign Monitor Alternatives You Can Find
Mailchimp is a popular marketing automation and email marketing tool. Its form and landing page builders are useful for generating signups and expanding email lists. Are you wondering if Campaign Monitor and Mailchimp are the same? Both are email marketing tools, yet they differ in many ways.
Source: mailbluster.com
Comparing 16 Campaign Monitor Alternatives: In-depth Analysis
Insights and predictions: Mailchimp’s analytics, including current analytics and predicted demographics, helps you learn more about your audience campaigns.
The 6 Best Campaign Monitor Alternatives for 2024
CategoryMailchimpCampaign MonitorBest FeatureEfficient handling of large listsUser-friendly email designPros1. Seamless scalability2. Comprehensive marketing tools3. User-friendly drag-and-drop editor1. Easy-to-use email templates2. Beautiful customizable templates3. In-depth reporting and analyticsCons1. Learning curve for beginners2. Pricing can be higher for large lists3....
The 5 Best Email Marketing Software of 2023
Mailchimp emerges as a frontrunner in the email marketing arena. Its blend of user-friendly features, advanced capabilities, and an extensive array of templates position it as an invaluable asset for businesses of all sizes. While its pricing tiers could be a concern for some, the benefits it brings to the table undoubtedly outweigh the drawbacks.

Ghost Reviews

Comparing 9 WordPress alternatives & competitors in 2024
Ghost specializes in creating a monetized blogging platform. Based on their subscription status, readers can create user profiles, sign up for newsletters, and browse your entire blogging calendar. The platform’s singular focus on blogging makes it great for individuals and small teams, but it lacks features like real-time collaboration that are necessary for larger companies.
Source: webflow.com
19 Best WordPress Alternatives in 2025
Ghost is known for its simplicity and focus on content creation. It's a great option for writers and creators who want a clean and distraction-free environment to publish their work.
Source: www.pixpa.com
7 Best Buy Me a Coffee Alternatives
If you don’t already have a website, Ghost may be an appealing option as a Patreon alternative. However, customizations are limited, and you’ll need to choose a pre-built design from the theme library. There are a few themes available, but most are priced from around $80 to $150. The Ghost API also gives you a way to publish content you create on the platform to another...
Source: wpforms.com
Top 10 Web Content Management Systems
Ghost is here as one of the first entries that can be classified as a pure headless CMS. Ghost is not only one of the best headless CMS options, but it also does so while being focused primarily on the blogger community. So if you have or are thinking about starting a large blogging operation featuring many different presentation layers, then Ghost is definitely for you....
Source: cloudzy.com
25+ Medium Alternative Platforms for Publishing Articles
Ghost open-source blogging and the indirect medium alternative platform. Its interface makes blogging easy for users, but also offers SEO tools and other plugins that are built into the platform. This makes it simple for users to publish high-quality content without technical difficulties.
Source: forgefusion.io

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Ghost should be more popular than MailChimp. It has been mentiond 189 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

MailChimp mentions (89)

  • Scalable E-Learning Platforms with Strapi’s API Integrations
    Integrating with marketing tools like Mailchimp through Strapi's API ensures that user data is consistently updated and synchronized, enabling more effective and targeted marketing campaigns. Whenever a user updates their profile or makes a purchase, these changes are automatically reflected across all connected systems. Real-time synchronization helps e-learning platforms maintain accurate contact records,... - Source: dev.to / 5 months ago
  • Email Workflow Automation 101: Templates, Tools, and Best Practices
    Mailchimp is a popular email marketing platform that offers features like customizable templates, A/B testing, and audience segmentation. This can preferred by teams looking to automate their email workflows but also want a minimalist tool to streamline their marketing efforts. - Source: dev.to / 8 months ago
  • The Behind-the-Scenes Magic: How Email Marketing Platforms Connect to Your Domain to Send Emails on Your Behalf
    Have you ever wondered how email marketing platforms like Mailchimp, BestRegards, and HubSpot manage to send hundreds or even thousands of emails from your custom domain in just seconds—without flooding your inbox?. - Source: dev.to / 9 months ago
  • 7 Best Transactional Email Platforms in 2024 Compared 📬
    MailchimpTransactional Emails, formerly Mandrill, is a paid Mailchimp add-on for sending transactional emails. For the purpose of this article, we’ll mainly use the former name Mandrill for the transactional part of the Mailchimp service. - Source: dev.to / about 1 year ago
  • Design Newsletter Emails in Golang
    Have you ever wondered how newsletters from different companies and organisations work? Some companies use platforms like Mailchimp but if you're like me and want to understand what is going on and how to build yours so you have full control then follow along as we send a few custom newsletters to our subscribers. - Source: dev.to / about 1 year ago
View more

Ghost mentions (189)

  • Project of the Week: Ghost 👻
    Ghost is a leading open-source publishing platform designed for modern creators, journalists, and businesses. Founded in 2013 as a non-profit organization, Ghost has grown to become a powerful alternative to traditional blogging platforms, with over 49,000 GitHub stars and a thriving ecosystem of themes and integrations. The platform focuses on providing beautiful, fast, and professional publishing tools, enabling... - Source: dev.to / 2 days ago
  • Save Hours Managing Ghost with These Python Scripts
    I run the blog at Developer-Service.blog with a self-hosted Ghost instance. - Source: dev.to / 25 days ago
  • Indie Hacking with Open Source Tools: Innovating on a Budget
    Modern publishing tools like Ghost accommodate sleek content presentation. - Source: dev.to / 3 months ago
  • Indie Hacking Success Stories with Open Source Licenses
    Ghost: This open source blogging platform, available at Ghost, was kickstarted by a simple yet powerful idea—empowering writers with an elegant, customizable tool. The project’s MIT licensing has fostered a thriving community that collaborates to push the platform forward. Ghost’s journey demonstrates that when developers and users work together, innovation thrives. - Source: dev.to / 3 months ago
  • Learning in public
    The other big option is to post blogs or notes. It's pretty simple to start a blog right here on Dev.to, or on Hashnode, two blogging platforms specifically for coding. There's also a great community platform on Codedex.io where you can write blog posts, although you do need to complete a few lessons to "unlock" the community features. In these cases, there's already an audience and community on the site, so it's... - Source: dev.to / 4 months ago
View more

What are some alternatives?

When comparing MailChimp and Ghost, you can also consider the following products

Brevo - Innovative online Email Marketing solution to manage your contacts, create & send your newsletters and track your results. More than 80 000 clients. Best prices and attractive features.

WordPress - WordPress is web software you can use to create a beautiful website or blog. We like to say that WordPress is both free and priceless at the same time.

Campaign Monitor - Email marketing software built for designers and their clients to run successful email campaigns.

Medium - Welcome to Medium, a place to read, write, and interact with the stories that matter most to you.

GetResponse - Email marketing from GetResponse. Send email newsletters, campaigns, online surveys and follow-up autoresponders. Simple, easy interface. FREE sign up.

SquareSpace - Squarespace is the easiest way for anyone to create an exceptional website. Pages, galleries, blogs, e-commerce, domains, hosting, analytics, 24/7 support - all included.