Open-source alternative
Replace ConvertKit with listmonk / Keila / Ghost
The best open-source alternative to ConvertKit is listmonk (or Keila) with Ghost, self-hosted on Railway. Own the list. listmonk is the single-binary newsletter app; Keila is the AGPL ConvertKit-shaped tool; Ghost covers a paid publication.
Estimated save $1,800 a year.
Open the stackStart on Railway
How ConvertKit compares
| ConvertKit | listmonk / Keila / Ghost | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | Hosted subscription | Open-source or fair-code license; you pay the host |
| Hosting | Vendor cloud | Self-hosted on Railway or any VPS |
| Rough monthly cost | Public list price not verified this run | Hosting only — no SaaS seat meter in this repo |
- listmonk
Single-binary, self-hosted newsletter and mailing lists
- Keila
Open-source newsletter and automations
- Ghost
Publishing plus paid newsletters if the site is the product
FAQ
- Is it free?
- The listmonk / Keila / Ghost licenses are open source or fair-code. You still pay hosting (Railway or any VPS) and any APIs the stack calls. There is no ConvertKit seat or task bill on this path.
- Can I migrate from ConvertKit?
- Yes. Start with the workflows or data you actually use, then cut over. The listmonk / Keila / Ghost stack page has the agent prompt and the cost table; most teams rebuild the slice that matters and leave old ConvertKit links until they expire.
- How do I deploy it?
- Open the listmonk / Keila / Ghost stack, copy the agent prompt, and deploy on Railway (one service, PORT, and a volume when the app needs disk). Placeholder: listmonk + Postgres (easiest), or Keila + Postgres, or Ghost if the publication is the product. SMTP via Resend. This site already mirrors subscribers in PocketBase — listmonk is the upgrade path past Plunk.
- What does this replace?
- Substack / ConvertKit. The published small-team estimate on this stack is $1,800 a year.
Related pages
Stack of the Week
Get one stack a week that replaces a SaaS bill.