News & Media · head to head
Ghost vs Arc Publishing
Ghost
News & Media
Modern publishing platform with content API and membership support
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
Arc Publishing
News & Media
The enterprise publishing platform for news organizations
- From
- On request
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Only Ghost has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
- Each has a real cost: Ghost backup and migration processes have significant limitations and are problematic for long-term users; Arc Publishing now sold as Arc XP, and arcpublishing.com redirects there
- They diverge on capability: Ghost covers Content API, Arc Publishing covers Modular CMS.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Ghost and Arc Publishing actually diverge.
| Attribute | Ghost | Arc Publishing |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | Free | On request |
| Pricing model | Unknown | quote |
| Free tier | Yes | No |
| Platforms | Web, Self-hosted, Cloud-hosted | Web, Mobile |
| Category | News & Media | Unknown |
| Founded | 2013 | 2016 |
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
- Content API
- Membership
- Analytics
- Webhooks
- Zapier
- Custom integrations
- Node.js support
- Cloud support
Only in Arc Publishing
- Modular CMS
- Content creation
- Publishing workflow
- Paywall management
- Subscription billing
- Analytics dashboard
- API framework
- Commerce integration
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Ghost
- API Developmentnot Arc Publishing
- API Gatewaynot Arc Publishing
- API Testingnot Arc Publishing
- API Documentationnot Arc Publishing
- Microservicesnot Arc Publishing
Arc Publishing
- Content management for news and digital publishersnot Ghost
- Subscription and paywall managementnot Ghost
- Video publishing alongside articlesnot Ghost
- Multi-site delivery for broadcast and B2B publishersnot Ghost
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Ghost
- Backup and migration processes have significant limitations and are problematic for long-term users
- Open-source version lacks automatic backups, email subscriptions, and ad placement features
- No built-in e-commerce functionality; separate platform required for product sales
- Smaller community compared to WordPress, making support and resources harder to find
- Narrow focus on publishing limits use cases outside content-only websites
Arc Publishing
- Now sold as Arc XP, and arcpublishing.com redirects there
- Pricing is not published
- Built for media companies, so the editorial workflow assumptions do not suit a general business site
Pricing, plan by plan
Ghost
Free- Self-HostedFree
- Open-source Ghost CMS
- Full control over data
- No payment fees
- Starter$15/month
- Up to 1,000 members
- Newsletter functionality
- Membership management
- Publisher$29/month
- Unlimited members
- Continuous member scaling
- Advanced analytics
- Business$199/month
- All Publisher features
- Custom domain
- Priority support
Arc Publishing
On request- Enterprise$undefined/custom
- Custom CMS
- Paywall integration
- Advanced analytics
Which should you pick?
Choose Ghost if
- You need content api.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, Self-hosted, Cloud-hosted.
- You also want membership.
Choose Arc Publishing if
- You need modular cms.
- You work on Web, Mobile.
- You also want content creation.
Questions people ask
- Is Ghost or Arc Publishing better?
- Neither clearly leads. Ghost starts at Free and Arc Publishing at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Ghost or Arc Publishing?
- Ghost has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Ghost and On request for Arc Publishing.
- Does Ghost or Arc Publishing run on more platforms?
- Ghost runs on Web, Self-hosted, Cloud-hosted. Arc Publishing runs on Web, Mobile.
- Can I use Ghost for free?
- Yes. Ghost has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Arc Publishing starts at On request.
- What is Ghost best used for?
- Ghost is most often used for api development, api gateway, api testing, api documentation. Of those, api development and api gateway are not what Arc Publishing is typically brought in for.
- What can Ghost do that Arc Publishing cannot?
- Ghost covers Content API, Membership, Analytics, Webhooks. Arc Publishing covers Modular CMS, Content creation, Publishing workflow, Paywall management.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
Ghost: What is the free option for Ghost?
Ghost is open-source software that can be self-hosted for free. Self-hosting costs depend on your own server, domain, SSL, email delivery infrastructure, and DevOps expertise.
SourceGhost: What is the starting price for Ghost(Pro) managed hosting?
Ghost(Pro) Starter plan is USD 15/month when billed yearly or USD 18/month when billed monthly. This plan includes up to 1,000 members with membership features enabled.
SourceGhost: Can I collect payments and manage subscriptions with Ghost?
Yes. Ghost includes native membership and subscription management with support for free signups and paid tiers (monthly/yearly options). All revenue goes directly to publishers with zero payment fees.
SourceGhost: Does Ghost integrate with Stripe?
Yes. Ghost integrates with Stripe for payment processing and subscription management, plus Zapier, Slack, Google Analytics, and thousands of other third-party apps.
Source