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Software · head to head

Ghost vs Ghost CMS

Ghost logo

Ghost

Software

Modern publishing platform with content API and membership support

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Ghost CMS logo

Ghost CMS

Software

Modern platform for professional publishing

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Ghost backup and migration processes have significant limitations and are problematic for long-term users; Ghost CMS ghost Pro plans cap members, at 1,000 on both Starter and Publisher and 10,000 on Business
  • They diverge on capability: Ghost covers Content API, Ghost CMS covers Publishing platform.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Ghost and Ghost CMS differ
AttributeGhostGhost CMS
Pricing modelUnknownfreemium
PlatformsWeb, Self-hosted, Cloud-hostedWeb, Self-hosted

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown), founded (2013).

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
  • Webhooks
  • Custom integrations
  • Node.js support
  • Cloud support

Only in Ghost CMS

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

Both cover

  • Analytics
  • Zapier
  • Self-hosted support

What people use each for

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

Ghost

  • API Developmentnot Ghost CMS
  • API Gatewaynot Ghost CMS
  • API Testingnot Ghost CMS
  • API Documentationnot Ghost CMS
  • Microservicesnot Ghost CMS

Ghost CMS

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

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

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

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

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.
Ghost review

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

Questions people ask

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

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.

Source
Ghost: 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.

Source
Ghost: 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.

Source
Ghost: 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
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