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News & Media · head to head

ConvertKit vs Ghost CMS

ConvertKit logo

ConvertKit

News & Media

The creator platform for digital professionals

From
On request
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: ConvertKit the free Newsletter plan allows only one basic visual automation, so sequences beyond a single flow require paying; Ghost CMS ghost Pro plans cap members, at 1,000 on both Starter and Publisher and 10,000 on Business
  • They diverge on capability: ConvertKit covers Email marketing, Ghost CMS covers Publishing platform.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where ConvertKit and Ghost CMS differ
AttributeConvertKitGhost CMS
Starting priceOn requestFree
Pricing modelsubscriptionfreemium
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWebWeb, Self-hosted

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (News & Media), founded (2013).

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 ConvertKit

  • Email marketing
  • Landing pages
  • Subscriber tagging
  • Automation workflows
  • Digital product sales
  • Broadcast emails
  • Subscriber segments
  • Email templates

Only in Ghost CMS

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

Both cover

  • Stripe
  • Zapier
  • Web support

What people use each for

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

ConvertKit

  • Sending newsletters and email sequences to an audiencenot Ghost CMS
  • Selling paid subscriptions and digital products to a mailing listnot Ghost CMS

Ghost CMS

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

Where each one falls short

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

ConvertKit

  • The free Newsletter plan allows only one basic visual automation, so sequences beyond a single flow require paying
  • The free plan is a single user, and the Creator plan at $33 a month allows two
  • Subscriber signals, engagement analytics and paid recommendations are Pro only, at $66 a month
  • A/B testing is capped at 2 subject lines below Pro, which allows 5
  • Paid pricing is banded by subscriber count, so the published figures apply only at the smallest band

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

ConvertKit

On request
  • Creator$29/month
    • Up to 10K subscribers
    • Email campaigns
    • Landing pages
  • Creator Pro$79/month
    • Unlimited subscribers
    • Advanced automation
    • Digital products

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 ConvertKit if

  • You need email marketing.
  • You also want landing pages.
ConvertKit 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 ConvertKit or Ghost CMS better?
Neither clearly leads. ConvertKit starts at On request and Ghost CMS at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, ConvertKit or Ghost CMS?
Ghost CMS has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for ConvertKit and Free for Ghost CMS.
Does ConvertKit or Ghost CMS run on more platforms?
ConvertKit 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. ConvertKit starts at On request.
What is ConvertKit best used for?
ConvertKit is most often used for sending newsletters and email sequences to an audience, selling paid subscriptions and digital products to a mailing list. Of those, sending newsletters and email sequences to an audience and selling paid subscriptions and digital products to a mailing list are not what Ghost CMS is typically brought in for.
What can ConvertKit do that Ghost CMS cannot?
ConvertKit covers Email marketing, Landing pages, Subscriber tagging, Automation workflows. Ghost CMS covers Publishing platform, Email newsletters, Membership management, Analytics. Both handle Stripe, Zapier, Web support.
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