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News & Media · head to head

Ghost vs Readwise Reader

Ghost logo

Ghost

News & Media

Modern publishing platform with content API and membership support

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Readwise Reader logo

Readwise Reader

News & Media

The read-it-later app for power readers

From
On request
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; Readwise Reader there is no free tier, only a 30 day trial
  • They diverge on capability: Ghost covers Content API, Readwise Reader covers Read-it-later.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Ghost and Readwise Reader actually diverge.

Attributes where Ghost and Readwise Reader differ
AttributeGhostReadwise Reader
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelUnknownsubscription
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, Self-hosted, Cloud-hostedIos, Android, Web
Founded20132017

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 Readwise Reader

  • Read-it-later
  • RSS aggregation
  • Newsletter inbox
  • PDF support
  • Highlighting
  • Notion
  • Obsidian
  • Roam Research

What people use each for

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

Ghost

  • API Developmentnot Readwise Reader
  • API Gatewaynot Readwise Reader
  • API Testingnot Readwise Reader
  • API Documentationnot Readwise Reader
  • Microservicesnot Readwise Reader

Readwise Reader

  • Saving and reading articles, PDFs and newsletters in one placenot Ghost
  • Reviewing highlights from books and articles over timenot 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

Readwise Reader

  • There is no free tier, only a 30 day trial
  • Reader is bundled into the full plan rather than sold separately, so it cannot be had at the cheaper Lite price
  • The Lite plan at $5.59 a month billed annually is daily email review only, without the web app or tagging
  • Paying monthly rather than annually raises the full plan from $9.99 to $12.99

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

Readwise Reader

On request
  • Reader Lite$8.99/month
    • Unlimited articles
    • Highlighting
    • RSS feeds
  • Full$12.99/month
    • Everything in Lite
    • Readwise integration
    • Spaced repetition

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 Readwise Reader if

  • You need read-it-later.
  • You work on Ios, Android, Web.
  • You also want rss aggregation.
Readwise Reader review

Questions people ask

Is Ghost or Readwise Reader better?
Neither clearly leads. Ghost starts at Free and Readwise Reader at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Ghost or Readwise Reader?
Ghost has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Ghost and On request for Readwise Reader.
Does Ghost or Readwise Reader run on more platforms?
Ghost runs on Web, Self-hosted, Cloud-hosted. Readwise Reader runs on Ios, Android, Web.
Can I use Ghost for free?
Yes. Ghost has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Readwise Reader 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 Readwise Reader is typically brought in for.
What can Ghost do that Readwise Reader cannot?
Ghost covers Content API, Membership, Analytics, Webhooks. Readwise Reader covers Read-it-later, RSS aggregation, Newsletter inbox, PDF 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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