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Software · head to head

Ghost vs The Old Reader

Ghost logo

Ghost

Software

Modern publishing platform with content API and membership support

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
The Old Reader logo

The Old Reader

Software

A classic RSS reader for the modern web

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • They diverge on capability: Ghost covers Content API, The Old Reader covers RSS reading.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Ghost and The Old Reader actually diverge.

Attributes where Ghost and The Old Reader differ
AttributeGhostThe Old Reader
Pricing modelUnknownfreemium
PlatformsWeb, Self-hosted, Cloud-hostedWeb, Ios, Android
Founded20132012

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

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 The Old Reader

  • RSS reading
  • Social sharing
  • Following friends
  • Keyboard shortcuts
  • OPML import/export
  • Third-party apps
  • Browser bookmarklet
  • Web support

What people use each for

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

Ghost

  • API Developmentnot The Old Reader
  • API Gatewaynot The Old Reader
  • API Testingnot The Old Reader
  • API Documentationnot The Old Reader
  • Microservicesnot The Old Reader

The Old Reader

  • RSS readingnot Ghost
  • News aggregationnot Ghost
  • Social readingnot 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

The Old Reader

Nothing recorded yet. See the The Old Reader review.

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

The Old Reader

Free
  • FreeFree
    • 100 subscriptions
    • Social features
    • Web access
  • Premium$3/month
    • 500 subscriptions
    • Search history
    • Priority refresh
  • Supporter$5/month
    • Unlimited subscriptions
    • All premium features
    • Support development

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 The Old Reader if

  • You need rss reading.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want social sharing.
The Old Reader review

Questions people ask

Is Ghost or The Old Reader better?
Neither clearly leads. Ghost starts at Free and The Old Reader at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Ghost or The Old Reader?
Ghost starts at Free and The Old Reader at Free.
Does Ghost or The Old Reader run on more platforms?
Ghost runs on Web, Self-hosted, Cloud-hosted. The Old Reader runs on Web, Ios, Android.
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 The Old Reader is typically brought in for.
What can Ghost do that The Old Reader cannot?
Ghost covers Content API, Membership, Analytics, Webhooks. The Old Reader covers RSS reading, Social sharing, Following friends, Keyboard shortcuts.

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

More on Ghost

More on The Old Reader

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