Ghost vs Thinkific

Side-by-side comparison on fees, payouts, monetization, and audience ownership.

Ghost
newsletter
Visit Ghost →
Thinkific
courses
Visit Thinkific →
Platform fee
from $9/mo · monthly subscription
from $36/mo · monthly, 0% on Thinkific Payments
Payout speed
instant
weekly
Minimum payout
$0
$0
Countries
Stripe-supported
Global via Thinkific Payments / Stripe / PayPal
Email list export
Full access
Full access (Thinkific Email with automation)
Custom domain
Yes
Yes
Community features
Comments, paid tiers, member signups
Built-in Communities with Spaces
Best for
Independent publishers and creators who want ownership and zero revenue share
Course creators who want predictable monthly pricing and native payments

Ghost vs Thinkific: which one wins?

Ghost charges from $9/mo (monthly subscription) versus Thinkific at from $36/mo (monthly, 0% on Thinkific Payments).

On payout speed, Ghost pays instant while Thinkific pays weekly. For creators where cashflow matters, the faster cadence usually wins.

For audience ownership, Ghost offers full access email export and Thinkific offers full access (thinkific email with automation). Email portability matters most for creators planning to migrate later or build a list independent of any single platform.

Best for: Ghost suits independent publishers and creators who want ownership and zero revenue share. Thinkific fits course creators who want predictable monthly pricing and native payments.

See all Ghost alternatives →See all Thinkific alternatives →