Softwr

News & Media · head to head

Ghost CMS vs Unbounce

Ghost CMS logo

Ghost CMS

News & Media

Modern platform for professional publishing

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Unbounce logo

Unbounce

Marketing

Landing page platform with AI-powered conversion optimisation.

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • 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; Unbounce starter tier severely limited to 5 pages and 500 monthly visitors; inadequate for most marketing campaigns

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Ghost CMS and Unbounce differ
AttributeGhost CMSUnbounce
Pricing modelfreemiumsubscription
PlatformsWeb, Self-hostedWeb, API
CategoryNews & MediaMarketing
Founded2013Unknown

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), 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 Unbounce

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 Unbounce
  • Self hosting a headless or full stack publishing platformnot Unbounce

Unbounce

  • Marketing agencies and freelancers running multiple client campaignsnot Ghost CMS
  • SaaS companies optimising landing pages for customer acquisitionnot Ghost CMS
  • E-commerce businesses testing product landing pages and promotional campaignsnot Ghost CMS
  • B2B marketers building dedicated pages for specific customer segmentsnot Ghost CMS
  • Product teams using A/B testing to improve conversion rates without design resourcesnot 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

Unbounce

  • Starter tier severely limited to 5 pages and 500 monthly visitors; inadequate for most marketing campaigns
  • All tiers have monthly visitor caps; campaigns exceeding thresholds require upgrading to higher-priced plans
  • Optimize tier ($249/mo) capped at 50,000 monthly visitors; campaigns beyond this require custom Concierge pricing
  • AI copywriting and advanced optimisation features not explicitly detailed in lower tiers
  • Full customisation beyond templates requires adding custom JavaScript, CSS and HTML
  • FIPS 140-2 or advanced security features not documented as available

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

Unbounce

Free
  • Starter$29/month ($22 annually)
    • 5 pages
    • 500 monthly visitors
    • 1 user
  • Build$99/month ($74 annually)
    • Unlimited pages
    • 20,000 monthly visitors
    • 1 user
  • Experiment$149/month ($112 annually)
    • Unlimited pages
    • 30,000 monthly visitors
    • 3 users
  • Optimize$249/month ($187 annually)
    • Unlimited pages
    • 50,000 monthly visitors
    • 5 users

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 Unbounce if

  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, API.
Unbounce review

Questions people ask

Is Ghost CMS or Unbounce better?
Neither clearly leads. Ghost CMS starts at Free and Unbounce at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Ghost CMS or Unbounce?
Ghost CMS starts at Free and Unbounce at Free.
Does Ghost CMS or Unbounce run on more platforms?
Ghost CMS runs on Web, Self-hosted. Unbounce runs on Web, API.
Can I use Ghost CMS for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
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 Unbounce is typically brought in for.
What can Ghost CMS do that Unbounce cannot?
Ghost CMS covers Publishing platform, Email newsletters, Membership management, Analytics.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Unbounce: Does Unbounce include A/B testing?

Yes. All paid plans include A/B testing capabilities. The one-click testing tool is designed for marketers without requiring technical or design support.

Source
Unbounce: What is Smart Traffic?

Smart Traffic is AI-powered optimisation that automatically routes visitors to their best-matching landing page variant. The feature delivers claimed average conversion improvements of 30%.

Source
Unbounce: Is there a free trial?

Yes. Unbounce offers a free 14-day trial with no credit card required.

Source
ShareXLinkedInRedditWhatsAppEmail

Related pages

More on Ghost CMS

More on Unbounce

Keep looking

Other head to heads