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Ghost CMS vs NewsWhip

Ghost CMS logo

Ghost CMS

News

Modern platform for professional publishing

From
$18/month
Rated
-
NewsWhip logo

NewsWhip

News

Viral content tracking and audience insights for media companies

From
On request
Rated
-

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Ghost CMS ghost Pro plans cap members, at 1,000 on both Starter and Publisher and 10,000 on Business; NewsWhip no pricing published on website
  • They diverge on capability: Ghost CMS covers Publishing platform, NewsWhip covers Viral content tracking.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Ghost CMS and NewsWhip differ
AttributeGhost CMSNewsWhip
Starting price$18/monthOn request
Pricing modelsubscriptionquote
PlatformsWeb, Self-hostedWeb
Founded20132011

Identical on both: free tier (No), 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 CMS

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

Only in NewsWhip

  • Viral content tracking
  • Social media monitoring
  • Competitor intelligence
  • Trend identification
  • Custom dashboards
  • Alert system
  • Content recommendations
  • Audience insights

Both cover

  • Web support

What people use each for

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

Ghost CMS

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

NewsWhip

  • Viral trackingnot Ghost CMS
  • Trend identificationnot Ghost CMS
  • Competitor monitoringnot Ghost CMS
  • Audience insightsnot Ghost CMS

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

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

NewsWhip

  • No pricing published on website

Pricing, plan by plan

Ghost CMS

$18/month
  • Starter$18/month
    • For solo blogs and newsletters
    • Your own website
    • Email newsletter
  • Publisher$29/month
    • For custom publications
    • 3 staff users
    • Custom themes
  • Business$199/month
    • For teams scaling up
    • 15 staff users
    • Priority support
  • Custom$null/contact
    • For organizations with complex needs
    • Unlimited staff users
    • Dedicated IP addresses

NewsWhip

On request
  • Enterprise$undefined/custom
    • Viral tracking
    • Competitor analysis
    • Trend identification

Which should you pick?

Choose Ghost CMS if

  • You need publishing platform.
  • You work on Web, Self-hosted.
  • You also want email newsletters.

Choose NewsWhip if

  • You need viral content tracking.
  • You also want social media monitoring.

Questions people ask

Is Ghost CMS or NewsWhip better?
Neither clearly leads. Ghost CMS starts at $18/month and NewsWhip at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Ghost CMS or NewsWhip?
Ghost CMS starts at $18/month and NewsWhip at On request.
Does Ghost CMS or NewsWhip run on more platforms?
Ghost CMS runs on Web, Self-hosted. NewsWhip runs on Web.
What is Ghost CMS best used for?
Ghost CMS is most often used for running a publication or newsletter with paid subscriptions, self hosting a headless or full stack publishing platform. Of those, running a publication or newsletter with paid subscriptions and self hosting a headless or full stack publishing platform are not what NewsWhip is typically brought in for.
What can Ghost CMS do that NewsWhip cannot?
Ghost CMS covers Publishing platform, Email newsletters, Membership management, Analytics. NewsWhip covers Viral content tracking, Social media monitoring, Competitor intelligence, Trend identification. Both handle Web support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Ghost CMS: How much does Ghost CMS cost?

Ghost(Pro) pricing starts at $18 per month when billed yearly for the Starter plan, with Publisher at $29 per month and Business at $199 per month. All plans include unlimited email sends and enterprise-grade security.

Source
NewsWhip: What does NewsWhip cost?

NewsWhip does not publish pricing on its website. The company directs customers to request a demo to receive custom pricing based on their needs.

Source
Ghost CMS: Can I cancel my Ghost subscription anytime?

Yes, users can upgrade, downgrade, or cancel their Ghost subscription anytime without penalties.

Source
Ghost CMS: Are there any additional fees with Ghost?

Ghost waives transaction fees on all plans, though payment processor fees still apply. There are no setup fees or hidden charges.

Source
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