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News & Media · head to head

Ghost CMS vs Gumroad

Ghost CMS logo

Ghost CMS

News & Media

Modern platform for professional publishing

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
G

Gumroad

E-commerce

Sell your stuff, see what sticks

From
On request
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: Ghost CMS ghost Pro plans cap members, at 1,000 on both Starter and Publisher and 10,000 on Business; Gumroad charges a 10 percent plus $0.50 transaction fee on direct sales, rising to 30 percent on sales made through its Discover marketplace

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Ghost CMS and Gumroad differ
AttributeGhost CMSGumroad
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelfreemiumsubscription
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, Self-hostedWeb
CategoryNews & MediaE-commerce
Founded2013Unknown

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

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 Ghost CMS

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

Only in Gumroad

Nothing recorded that Ghost CMS does not also cover.

What people use each for

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

Ghost CMS

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

Gumroad

No use cases recorded yet. See the Gumroad review.

Where each one falls short

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

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

Gumroad

  • Charges a 10 percent plus $0.50 transaction fee on direct sales, rising to 30 percent on sales made through its Discover marketplace

Pricing, plan by plan

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

Gumroad

On request

No published plan breakdown. See the Gumroad review.

Which should you pick?

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

Choose Gumroad if

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

Gumroad review

Questions people ask

Is Ghost CMS or Gumroad better?
Neither clearly leads. Ghost CMS starts at Free and Gumroad at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Ghost CMS or Gumroad?
Ghost CMS has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Ghost CMS and On request for Gumroad.
Does Ghost CMS or Gumroad run on more platforms?
Ghost CMS runs on Web, Self-hosted. Gumroad runs on Web.
Can I use Ghost CMS for free?
Yes. Ghost CMS has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Gumroad starts at On request.
What is Ghost CMS best used for?
Ghost CMS is most often used for running a publication or newsletter with paid subscriptions, self hosting a headless or full stack publishing platform. Of those, running a publication or newsletter with paid subscriptions and self hosting a headless or full stack publishing platform are not what Gumroad is typically brought in for.
What can Ghost CMS do that Gumroad cannot?
Ghost CMS covers Publishing platform, Email newsletters, Membership management, Analytics.
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