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News & Media · head to head

Ghost vs Parse.ly

Ghost logo

Ghost

News & Media

Modern publishing platform with content API and membership support

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Parse.ly logo

Parse.ly

News & Media

Analytics platform for publishers

From
$500/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

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; Parse.ly pricing is by quote only: the pricing page names three tiers but publishes no rate, no minimum and no cost driver, and routes buyers to a demo booking
  • They diverge on capability: Ghost covers Content API, Parse.ly covers Content analytics.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Ghost and Parse.ly actually diverge.

Attributes where Ghost and Parse.ly differ
AttributeGhostParse.ly
Starting priceFree$500/month
Pricing modelUnknownquote
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, Self-hosted, Cloud-hostedWeb
Founded20132011

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

  • Content API
  • Membership
  • Analytics
  • Webhooks
  • Zapier
  • Custom integrations
  • Node.js support
  • Cloud support

Only in Parse.ly

  • Content analytics
  • Audience tracking
  • Real-time metrics
  • Recommendations
  • Google Analytics
  • GDPR
  • Cloud deployment
  • Web support

What people use each for

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

Ghost

  • API Developmentnot Parse.ly
  • API Gatewaynot Parse.ly
  • API Testingnot Parse.ly
  • API Documentationnot Parse.ly
  • Microservicesnot Parse.ly

Parse.ly

  • Real time analytics on article and page performance for publishersnot Ghost
  • Attributing conversions and subscriptions to contentnot Ghost
  • Comparing audience engagement across authors, sections and channelsnot 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

Parse.ly

  • Pricing is by quote only: the pricing page names three tiers but publishes no rate, no minimum and no cost driver, and routes buyers to a demo booking
  • Conversions and attribution reporting require the Content Value tier rather than the entry tier
  • Geographic segmentation and video tracking require the top Content Advocacy tier

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

Parse.ly

$500/month
  • Standard$500/month
    • Content analytics
    • Audience insights

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 Parse.ly if

  • You need content analytics.
  • You also want audience tracking.
Parse.ly review

Questions people ask

Is Ghost or Parse.ly better?
Neither clearly leads. Ghost starts at Free and Parse.ly at $500/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Ghost or Parse.ly?
Ghost has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Ghost and $500/month for Parse.ly.
Does Ghost or Parse.ly run on more platforms?
Ghost runs on Web, Self-hosted, Cloud-hosted. Parse.ly runs on Web.
Can I use Ghost for free?
Yes. Ghost has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Parse.ly starts at $500/month.
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 Parse.ly is typically brought in for.
What can Ghost do that Parse.ly cannot?
Ghost covers Content API, Membership, Analytics, Webhooks. Parse.ly covers Content analytics, Audience tracking, Real-time metrics, Recommendations.

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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Related pages

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