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Software · head to head

Customer.io vs Ghost CMS

Customer.io logo

Customer.io

Software

Data-driven messaging for teams getting started, scaling and beyond

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Ghost CMS logo

Ghost CMS

Software

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: Customer.io essentials plan caps at 5,000 profiles (people and objects) and 1,000,000 monthly emails, with overages billed at $0.12 per 1,000 emails beyond that; Ghost CMS ghost Pro plans cap members, at 1,000 on both Starter and Publisher and 10,000 on Business

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Customer.io and Ghost CMS actually diverge.

Attributes where Customer.io and Ghost CMS differ
AttributeCustomer.ioGhost CMS
Starting priceOn requestFree
Pricing modelsubscriptionfreemium
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWebWeb, Self-hosted
FoundedUnknown2013

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).

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 Customer.io

Nothing recorded that Ghost CMS does not also cover.

Only in Ghost CMS

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

What people use each for

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

Customer.io

No use cases recorded yet. See the Customer.io review.

Ghost CMS

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

Where each one falls short

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

Customer.io

  • Essentials plan caps at 5,000 profiles (people and objects) and 1,000,000 monthly emails, with overages billed at $0.12 per 1,000 emails beyond that
  • Standard and Premium tiers show custom pricing only, and Enterprise is negotiated rate, so three of the four published tiers require a sales conversation
  • Monthly plans accept credit card only; annual billing via invoice (ACH/wire) requires the annual commitment

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

Customer.io

On request

No published plan breakdown. See the Customer.io review.

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 Customer.io if

Nothing in the data separates Customer.io from Ghost CMS on the points above - pick on price and on how each one feels to use.

Customer.io 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 Customer.io or Ghost CMS better?
Neither clearly leads. Customer.io 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, Customer.io or Ghost CMS?
Ghost CMS has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for Customer.io and Free for Ghost CMS.
Does Customer.io or Ghost CMS run on more platforms?
Customer.io 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. Customer.io starts at On request.
What can Customer.io do that Ghost CMS cannot?
Ghost CMS covers Publishing platform, Email newsletters, Membership management, Analytics.
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Related pages

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