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Apple News vs Ghost

Apple News logo

Apple News

News

All the news you want. From sources you trust.

From
$12.99/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Ghost logo

Ghost

News

Modern publishing platform with content API and membership support

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Ghost has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Apple News apple One Bundle does not break out individual service costs; Ghost backup and migration processes have significant limitations and are problematic for long-term users
  • They diverge on capability: Apple News covers Curated news feed, Ghost covers Content API.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Apple News and Ghost actually diverge.

Attributes where Apple News and Ghost differ
AttributeApple NewsGhost
Starting price$12.99/monthFree
Pricing modelsubscriptionUnknown
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsIos, MacosWeb, Self-hosted, Cloud-hosted
Founded19762013

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 Apple News

  • Curated news feed
  • Premium magazines
  • Audio stories
  • Personalization
  • Offline reading
  • iCloud
  • Apple One bundle
  • Siri

Only in Ghost

  • Content API
  • Membership
  • Analytics
  • Webhooks
  • Zapier
  • Custom integrations
  • Node.js support
  • Cloud support

What people use each for

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

Apple News

  • Daily news readingnot Ghost
  • Magazine subscriptionnot Ghost
  • News discoverynot Ghost
  • Staying informednot Ghost

Ghost

  • API Developmentnot Apple News
  • API Gatewaynot Apple News
  • API Testingnot Apple News
  • API Documentationnot Apple News
  • Microservicesnot Apple News

Where each one falls short

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

Apple News

  • Apple One Bundle does not break out individual service costs
  • 3-month free offer limited to eligible device purchases

Ghost

  • Backup and migration processes have significant limitations and are problematic for long-term users
  • Open-source version lacks automatic backups, email subscriptions, and ad placement features
  • No built-in e-commerce functionality; separate platform required for product sales
  • Smaller community compared to WordPress, making support and resources harder to find
  • Narrow focus on publishing limits use cases outside content-only websites

Pricing, plan by plan

Apple News

$12.99/month
  • Apple News+$12.99/month
    • Hundreds of magazines and newspapers
    • Cover-to-cover magazine issues
    • Professionally narrated audio stories
  • Apple One Bundle$39.95/month
    • Apple News+ included
    • Five additional Apple services
    • Family Sharing

Ghost

Free
  • Self-HostedFree
    • Open-source Ghost CMS
    • Full control over data
    • No payment fees
  • Starter$15/month
    • Up to 1,000 members
    • Newsletter functionality
    • Membership management
  • Publisher$29/month
    • Unlimited members
    • Continuous member scaling
    • Advanced analytics
  • Business$199/month
    • All Publisher features
    • Custom domain
    • Priority support

Which should you pick?

Choose Apple News if

  • You need curated news feed.
  • You work on Ios, Macos.
  • You also want premium magazines.
Apple News review

Choose Ghost if

  • You need content api.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Self-hosted, Cloud-hosted.
  • You also want membership.
Ghost review

Questions people ask

Is Apple News or Ghost better?
Neither clearly leads. Apple News starts at $12.99/month and Ghost at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Apple News or Ghost?
Ghost has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $12.99/month for Apple News and Free for Ghost.
Does Apple News or Ghost run on more platforms?
Apple News runs on Ios, Macos. Ghost runs on Web, Self-hosted, Cloud-hosted.
Can I use Ghost for free?
Yes. Ghost has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Apple News starts at $12.99/month.
What is Apple News best used for?
Apple News is most often used for daily news reading, magazine subscription, news discovery, staying informed. Of those, daily news reading and magazine subscription are not what Ghost is typically brought in for.
What can Apple News do that Ghost cannot?
Apple News covers Curated news feed, Premium magazines, Audio stories, Personalization. Ghost covers Content API, Membership, Analytics, Webhooks.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Apple News: How much does Apple News+ cost?

Apple News+ costs $12.99 per month after a one-month free trial for new subscribers, with automatic monthly renewal until cancelled.

Source
Ghost: What is the free option for Ghost?

Ghost is open-source software that can be self-hosted for free. Self-hosting costs depend on your own server, domain, SSL, email delivery infrastructure, and DevOps expertise.

Source
Apple News: What is Apple One Bundle pricing?

Apple One Bundle is $39.95 per month and includes Apple News+ along with five other Apple services, with Family Sharing available at no additional cost.

Source
Ghost: What is the starting price for Ghost(Pro) managed hosting?

Ghost(Pro) Starter plan is USD 15/month when billed yearly or USD 18/month when billed monthly. This plan includes up to 1,000 members with membership features enabled.

Source
Apple News: Can Apple News+ be shared with family members?

Yes, Apple News+ subscriptions can be shared with up to five other family members at no additional cost through Family Sharing.

Source
Ghost: Can I collect payments and manage subscriptions with Ghost?

Yes. Ghost includes native membership and subscription management with support for free signups and paid tiers (monthly/yearly options). All revenue goes directly to publishers with zero payment fees.

Source
Ghost: Does Ghost integrate with Stripe?

Yes. Ghost integrates with Stripe for payment processing and subscription management, plus Zapier, Slack, Google Analytics, and thousands of other third-party apps.

Source
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