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Software · head to head

Ghost CMS vs Prezly

Ghost CMS logo

Ghost CMS

Software

Modern platform for professional publishing

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Prezly logo

Prezly

Software

All-in-one PR software for modern newsrooms

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; Prezly the Essential plan at 100 euros a month covers one site, one user and 5,000 contacts, and carries Prezly branding
  • They diverge on capability: Ghost CMS covers Publishing platform, Prezly covers Online newsrooms.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Ghost CMS and Prezly differ
AttributeGhost CMSPrezly
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelfreemiumsubscription
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, Self-hostedWeb
Founded20132010

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 Ghost CMS

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

Only in Prezly

  • Online newsrooms
  • Contact management
  • Email campaigns
  • Coverage tracking
  • Multimedia stories
  • Slack
  • Google Analytics
  • Custom embed

Both cover

  • Zapier
  • 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 Prezly
  • Self hosting a headless or full stack publishing platformnot Prezly

Prezly

  • Hosting an online newsroom or press pagenot Ghost CMS
  • Sending press releases to a media contact listnot Ghost CMS
  • Managing journalist contacts and coveragenot Ghost CMS
  • Multilingual newsrooms through the localisation featuresnot 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

Prezly

  • The Essential plan at 100 euros a month covers one site, one user and 5,000 contacts, and carries Prezly branding
  • Removing the branding and getting white-label sites requires Standard at 250 euros a month
  • Standard still allows only two users
  • The uptime SLA is Enterprise only
  • Advertised prices are the annual rates, with a 20 percent premium for paying monthly

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

Prezly

On request
  • Starter$75/month
    • 1 newsroom
    • 3 users
    • 5,000 contacts
  • Growth$180/month
    • 3 newsrooms
    • 10 users
    • 25,000 contacts
  • Pro$450/month
    • Unlimited newsrooms
    • Unlimited users
    • Unlimited contacts

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 Prezly if

  • You need online newsrooms.
  • You also want contact management.
Prezly review

Questions people ask

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