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Ghost vs Steno

Ghost logo

Ghost

News

Modern publishing platform with content API and membership support

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Steno logo

Steno

News

AI transcription and analysis for news and media

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; Steno no free tier available; entry point at $500/month
  • They diverge on capability: Ghost covers Content API, Steno covers AI transcription.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Ghost and Steno actually diverge.

Attributes where Ghost and Steno differ
AttributeGhostSteno
Starting priceFree$500/month
Pricing modelUnknownsubscription
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, Self-hosted, Cloud-hostedWeb
Founded20132020

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (News).

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 Steno

  • AI transcription
  • Broadcast search
  • Real-time monitoring
  • Clip creation
  • Media analysis
  • Slack
  • Email
  • API

What people use each for

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

Ghost

  • API Developmentnot Steno
  • API Gatewaynot Steno
  • API Testingnot Steno
  • API Documentationnot Steno
  • Microservicesnot Steno

Steno

  • AI-powered content creation platformnot Ghost
  • Voice and text content generationnot Ghost
  • Multi-channel content distributionnot Ghost
  • Programmatic content syndicationnot 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

Steno

  • No free tier available; entry point at $500/month
  • Enterprise plan pricing not published; requires custom quote
  • Premium add-ons (iOS/Android app, Pro Voice) pricing not disclosed

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

Steno

$500/month
  • Starter$500/month
    • 16,500 credits per month
    • 1 Twin
    • Web app deployment
  • Growth$1000/month
    • 40,000 credits per month
    • 2 Twins
    • Web app deployment
  • Scale$2000/month
    • 100,000 credits per month
    • 3 Twins
    • Web app deployment
  • Enterprise$null/month
    • 200,000+ credits per month
    • 5 Twins
    • Web app deployment

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 Steno if

  • You need ai transcription.
  • You also want broadcast search.
Steno review

Questions people ask

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

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
Steno: What is the minimum cost to start using Steno?

The Starter plan is $500/month with 16,500 monthly credits. Steno does not offer a free tier, and monthly billing options include annual subscriptions with 10-15% savings.

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
Steno: What are Steno credits and how many do I get?

Credits are the universal currency used for content processing, training, and user interactions across text, voice, and video. Starter includes 16,500/month, Growth 40,000/month, Scale 100,000/month, and Enterprise 200,000+/month.

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
Steno: What is a Twin in Steno's pricing?

Twins are included in Steno plans at different quantities: Starter includes 1 Twin, Growth 2, Scale 3, and Enterprise 5. Specific features of Twins are not detailed on the pricing page.

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
Steno: What are Steno's platform fees?

Steno charges monetization platform fees that decrease with plan tier: Starter at 9%, Growth at 8%, Scale at 7%, and Enterprise at 6%.

Source
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