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Chartbeat vs Ghost CMS

Chartbeat logo

Chartbeat

News & Media

Real-time analytics for publishers

From
$1000/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Ghost CMS logo

Ghost CMS

News & Media

Modern platform for professional publishing

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Ghost CMS has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Chartbeat pricing is customized by website and native app pageviews across four tiers, Essentials, Plus, Premium and Enterprise, and the pricing page publishes no figures, directing visitors to Talk to Sales or Get a Demo; Ghost CMS ghost Pro plans cap members, at 1,000 on both Starter and Publisher and 10,000 on Business
  • They diverge on capability: Chartbeat covers Real-time analytics, Ghost CMS covers Publishing platform.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Chartbeat and Ghost CMS actually diverge.

Attributes where Chartbeat and Ghost CMS differ
AttributeChartbeatGhost CMS
Starting price$1000/monthFree
Pricing modelquotefreemium
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWebWeb, Self-hosted
Founded20092013

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (News & Media).

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 Chartbeat

  • Real-time analytics
  • Audience insights
  • Content metrics
  • Traffic tracking
  • Google Analytics
  • GDPR
  • Cloud deployment
  • English language support

Only in Ghost CMS

  • Publishing platform
  • Email newsletters
  • Membership management
  • Analytics
  • Paywall support
  • SEO optimization
  • Media library
  • API access

Both cover

  • Web support

What people use each for

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

Chartbeat

  • Publisher analyticsnot Ghost CMS

Ghost CMS

  • Running a publication or newsletter with paid subscriptionsnot Chartbeat
  • Self hosting a headless or full stack publishing platformnot Chartbeat

Where each one falls short

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

Chartbeat

  • Pricing is customized by website and native app pageviews across four tiers, Essentials, Plus, Premium and Enterprise, and the pricing page publishes no figures, directing visitors to Talk to Sales or Get a Demo

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

Pricing, plan by plan

Chartbeat

$1000/month
  • Professional$1000/month
    • Real-time analytics
    • Audience insights

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

Which should you pick?

Choose Chartbeat if

  • You need real-time analytics.
  • You also want audience insights.
Chartbeat review

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.
Ghost CMS review

Questions people ask

Is Chartbeat or Ghost CMS better?
Neither clearly leads. Chartbeat starts at $1000/month and Ghost CMS at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Chartbeat or Ghost CMS?
Ghost CMS has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $1000/month for Chartbeat and Free for Ghost CMS.
Does Chartbeat or Ghost CMS run on more platforms?
Chartbeat runs on Web. Ghost CMS runs on Web, Self-hosted.
Can I use Ghost CMS for free?
Yes. Ghost CMS has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Chartbeat starts at $1000/month.
What is Chartbeat best used for?
Chartbeat is most often used for publisher analytics. Of those, publisher analytics is not what Ghost CMS is typically brought in for.
What can Chartbeat do that Ghost CMS cannot?
Chartbeat covers Real-time analytics, Audience insights, Content metrics, Traffic tracking. Ghost CMS covers Publishing platform, Email newsletters, Membership management, Analytics. Both handle Web support.
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