News · head to head
ConvertKit vs Ghost CMS
The short version
- Only ConvertKit 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.
- Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which ConvertKit and Ghost CMS actually diverge.
| Attribute | ConvertKit | Ghost CMS |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | Free | $18/month |
| Pricing model | freemium | subscription |
| Free tier | Yes | No |
| Platforms | Web | Web, Self-hosted |
Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (News), 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
Free- FreeFree
- Up to 10,000 subscribers
- Unlimited landing pages and forms
- Unlimited email broadcasts
- Creator$33/month
- Up to 1,000 subscribers
- Unlimited visual automations
- Email sequences
- Pro$66/month
- Up to 1,000 subscribers
- Everything in Creator plan
- Subscriber engagement scoring
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 ConvertKit if
- You need email marketing.
- You want to start without paying.
- You also want landing pages.
Choose Ghost CMS if
- You need publishing platform.
- You work on Web, Self-hosted.
- You also want email newsletters.
Questions people ask
- Is ConvertKit or Ghost CMS better?
- Neither clearly leads. ConvertKit starts at Free and Ghost CMS at $18/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, ConvertKit or Ghost CMS?
- ConvertKit has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for ConvertKit and $18/month 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 ConvertKit for free?
- Yes. ConvertKit has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Ghost CMS starts at $18/month.
- 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.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
ConvertKit: How much does ConvertKit cost?
ConvertKit offers a free tier and two paid plans: Creator at $33/month (annual $390/year saving $78) and Pro at $66/month (annual $790/year saving $158). All plans include unlimited landing pages, email broadcasts, and audience management features.
SourceGhost 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.
SourceConvertKit: What does the free ConvertKit plan include?
The free plan supports up to 10,000 subscribers with unlimited landing pages, forms, email broadcasts, audience tagging, and digital product sales. No credit card required to start.
SourceGhost CMS: Can I cancel my Ghost subscription anytime?
Yes, users can upgrade, downgrade, or cancel their Ghost subscription anytime without penalties.
SourceConvertKit: What are the subscriber limits on ConvertKit plans?
The free plan supports up to 10,000 subscribers. Both Creator and Pro paid tiers support up to 1,000 subscribers. This creates a subscriber limit decrease when upgrading from free to paid plans.
SourceGhost 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.
SourceRelated pages
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