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Ghost CMS vs Parse.ly

Ghost CMS logo

Ghost CMS

News

Modern platform for professional publishing

From
$18/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Parse.ly logo

Parse.ly

News

Analytics platform for publishers

From
$500/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

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; Parse.ly no published pricing rates or specific plan costs
  • They diverge on capability: Ghost CMS covers Publishing platform, Parse.ly covers Content analytics.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Ghost CMS and Parse.ly differ
AttributeGhost CMSParse.ly
Starting price$18/month$500/month
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 Parse.ly

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

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 Parse.ly
  • Self hosting a headless or full stack publishing platformnot Parse.ly

Parse.ly

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

Parse.ly

  • No published pricing rates or specific plan costs
  • All pricing tiers direct users to contact sales for details
  • Custom/enterprise pricing model requires demo or direct contact

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

Parse.ly

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

Which should you pick?

Choose Ghost CMS if

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

Choose Parse.ly if

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

Questions people ask

Is Ghost CMS or Parse.ly better?
Neither clearly leads. Ghost CMS starts at $18/month 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 CMS or Parse.ly?
Ghost CMS starts at $18/month and Parse.ly at $500/month.
Does Ghost CMS or Parse.ly run on more platforms?
Ghost CMS runs on Web, Self-hosted. Parse.ly 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 Parse.ly is typically brought in for.
What can Ghost CMS do that Parse.ly cannot?
Ghost CMS covers Publishing platform, Email newsletters, Membership management, Analytics. Parse.ly covers Content analytics, Audience tracking, Real-time metrics, Recommendations. 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
Parse.ly: How much does Parse.ly cost?

Parse.ly does not publish specific pricing amounts. The company offers three tiers (Content Performance, Content Value, and Content Advocacy) but requires customers to request quotes or schedule a demo with a content analytics expert.

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

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

Source
Parse.ly: What are the differences between Parse.ly pricing tiers?

The Content Performance tier offers basic analytics and 1 site tracking. Content Value adds conversions and attribution analytics for 2 sites. Content Advocacy adds geographic segmentation, video tracking, and SSO for 3 sites.

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
Parse.ly: How can I get a custom pricing quote from Parse.ly?

Customers can book a demo with a Parse.ly content analytics expert through their pricing page, or request more details using the provided contact options.

Source
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