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News · head to head

Cision vs Ghost CMS

Cision logo

Cision

News

The complete PR and earned media platform

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Ghost CMS logo

Ghost CMS

News

Modern platform for professional publishing

From
$18/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Cision no transparent pricing published for media monitoring and PR tools; Ghost CMS ghost Pro plans cap members, at 1,000 on both Starter and Publisher and 10,000 on Business
  • They diverge on capability: Cision covers Media monitoring, Ghost CMS covers Publishing platform.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Cision and Ghost CMS differ
AttributeCisionGhost CMS
Starting priceOn request$18/month
PlatformsWeb, Ios, AndroidWeb, Self-hosted
Founded18672013

Identical on both: pricing model (subscription), free tier (No), 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 Cision

  • Media monitoring
  • PR Newswire distribution
  • Media database
  • Analytics & reporting
  • Influencer identification
  • Salesforce
  • Google Analytics
  • Slack

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.

Cision

  • Press release distributionnot Ghost CMS
  • Media monitoringnot Ghost CMS
  • PR measurementnot Ghost CMS
  • Media outreachnot Ghost CMS
  • Crisis communicationsnot Ghost CMS

Ghost CMS

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

Where each one falls short

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

Cision

  • No transparent pricing published for media monitoring and PR tools

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

Cision

On request
  • Cision Communications CloudFree
    • Media monitoring
    • Media database
    • PR analytics
  • EnterpriseFree
    • Full platform access
    • PR Newswire distribution
    • Custom integrations

Ghost CMS

$18/month
  • Starter$18/month
    • For solo blogs and newsletters
    • Your own website
    • Email newsletter
  • Publisher$29/month
    • For custom publications
    • 3 staff users
    • Custom themes
  • Business$199/month
    • For teams scaling up
    • 15 staff users
    • Priority support
  • Custom$null/contact
    • For organizations with complex needs
    • Unlimited staff users
    • Dedicated IP addresses

Which should you pick?

Choose Cision if

  • You need media monitoring.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want pr newswire distribution.
Cision review

Choose Ghost CMS if

  • You need publishing platform.
  • You work on Web, Self-hosted.
  • You also want email newsletters.
Ghost CMS review

Questions people ask

Is Cision or Ghost CMS better?
Neither clearly leads. Cision starts at On request and Ghost CMS at $18/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Cision or Ghost CMS?
Cision starts at On request and Ghost CMS at $18/month.
Does Cision or Ghost CMS run on more platforms?
Cision runs on Web, Ios, Android. Ghost CMS runs on Web, Self-hosted.
What is Cision best used for?
Cision is most often used for press release distribution, media monitoring, pr measurement, media outreach. Of those, press release distribution and media monitoring are not what Ghost CMS is typically brought in for.
What can Cision do that Ghost CMS cannot?
Cision covers Media monitoring, PR Newswire distribution, Media database, Analytics & reporting. Ghost CMS covers Publishing platform, Email newsletters, Membership management, Analytics. Both handle Web support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Cision: How much does Cision cost?

Cision does not publish standard pricing on its website. The company offers media monitoring, journalist outreach, and social listening tools through CisionOne platform with pricing based on media monitoring scope, number of keywords, and service level. Contact sales for quotes.

Source
Ghost CMS: How much does Ghost CMS cost?

Ghost(Pro) pricing starts at $18 per month when billed yearly for the Starter plan, with Publisher at $29 per month and Business at $199 per month. All plans include unlimited email sends and enterprise-grade security.

Source
Cision: What services does Cision offer?

Cision offers media monitoring, instant insights and reporting, journalist outreach, social listening and management, professional services, and CisionOne AI. All services are part of the CisionOne unified platform.

Source
Ghost CMS: Can I cancel my Ghost subscription anytime?

Yes, users can upgrade, downgrade, or cancel their Ghost subscription anytime without penalties.

Source
Ghost CMS: Are there any additional fees with Ghost?

Ghost waives transaction fees on all plans, though payment processor fees still apply. There are no setup fees or hidden charges.

Source
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