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News & Media · head to head

Ghost CMS vs Muck Rack

Ghost CMS logo

Ghost CMS

News & Media

Modern platform for professional publishing

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Muck Rack logo

Muck Rack

News & Media

The new standard in PR software

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; Muck Rack no pricing is published, and every quote is prepared individually
  • They diverge on capability: Ghost CMS covers Publishing platform, Muck Rack covers Media database.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Ghost CMS and Muck Rack actually diverge.

Attributes where Ghost CMS and Muck Rack differ
AttributeGhost CMSMuck Rack
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelfreemiumsubscription
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, Self-hostedWeb, Browser-extension
Founded20132009

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

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 Muck Rack

  • Media database
  • Journalist profiles
  • Media monitoring
  • Pitching platform
  • Coverage reporting
  • Slack
  • Salesforce
  • Google Analytics

Both cover

  • Web support

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 Muck Rack
  • Self hosting a headless or full stack publishing platformnot Muck Rack

Muck Rack

  • Finding and pitching journalists from a media databasenot Ghost CMS
  • Monitoring coverage and measuring PR resultsnot Ghost CMS

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

Muck Rack

  • No pricing is published, and every quote is prepared individually
  • Cost depends on user count, so a growing PR team pays more for the same database
  • Broadcast monitoring, social listening and press release distribution are separately priced modules rather than included

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

Muck Rack

On request
  • ProFree
    • Media database
    • Media monitoring
    • Pitching tools
  • EnterpriseFree
    • All Pro features
    • Team management
    • SSO integration

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 Muck Rack if

  • You need media database.
  • You work on Web, Browser-extension.
  • You also want journalist profiles.
Muck Rack review

Questions people ask

Is Ghost CMS or Muck Rack better?
Neither clearly leads. Ghost CMS starts at Free and Muck Rack at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Ghost CMS or Muck Rack?
Ghost CMS has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Ghost CMS and On request for Muck Rack.
Does Ghost CMS or Muck Rack run on more platforms?
Ghost CMS runs on Web, Self-hosted. Muck Rack runs on Web, Browser-extension.
Can I use Ghost CMS for free?
Yes. Ghost CMS has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Muck Rack 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 Muck Rack is typically brought in for.
What can Ghost CMS do that Muck Rack cannot?
Ghost CMS covers Publishing platform, Email newsletters, Membership management, Analytics. Muck Rack covers Media database, Journalist profiles, Media monitoring, Pitching platform. Both handle Web support.
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