Ghostvs
Sanity
Sanity: Headless CMS for content publishers with API-first architecture.
Ghost
Modern publishing platform with content API and membership support
As of 30 August 2026, Ghost has a free plan and paid plans start at $15/month. Ghost is a modern, open-source publishing platform designed for content creators. Softwr lists it under News. Ghost is made by Ghost Foundation, launched in 2013, available on Web, Self-hosted.
Overview
What Ghost does
Ghost is a modern, open-source publishing platform designed for content creators. It provides REST content APIs, membership support, and built-in analytics for content-driven businesses.
What people use it for
- API Development
- API Gateway
- API Testing
- API Documentation
- Microservices
Related searches
The honest half
Where it falls short
Concrete and checkable, so you can decide whether any of them matter to you. This is the half of a review a vendor will not write about 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
Cross-shopped
What people choose instead of Ghost
Each pairing was judged by two reviewers asking whether a buyer would genuinely weigh the two against each other. The ones that failed were deleted rather than published.
- GhostvsPatreon
Patreon: Creator monetization and membership platform for independent publishers.
- GhostvsThinkific
Thinkific: Course and content platform with membership and subscription capabilities.
Pricing
What Ghost costs
Taken from the vendor's own pricing page. Prices move, so check before you buy.
Self-Hosted
Free
- Open-source Ghost CMS
- Full control over data
- No payment fees
- Infrastructure costs separate
Starter
$15 /mo
- Up to 1,000 members
- Newsletter functionality
- Membership management
- Managed hosting
Publisher
$29 /mo
- Unlimited members
- Continuous member scaling
- Advanced analytics
- Priority support
Business
$199 /mo
- All Publisher features
- Custom domain
- Priority support
- Advanced customization
Capabilities
Features
Content API
Membership
Analytics
Webhooks
Integration with Webhooks
Zapier
Integration with Zapier
Custom integrations
Integration with Custom integrations
Node.js support
Available on Node.js
Cloud support
Available on Cloud
Self-hosted support
Available on Self-hosted
Answered, with sources
Questions people ask
Each answer names the page it came from, so you can check it rather than take our word for it.
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.
SourceWhat 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.
SourceCan 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.
SourceDoes 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.
SourceBehind it
Who makes Ghost
- Company
- Ghost Foundation
- Based in
- London, United Kingdom
Keep looking
Where to go from Ghost
- Ghost alternativesEvery product people weigh against it
- Ghost pricingPlans, floors and what the tiers exclude
- Ghost badgesWhich rules it meets, and the figure behind each
- All News softwareThe full category
- Best News softwareThe shortlist, and how it was cut
Best News software for
Compare Ghost with
- NetNewsWire
- NewsBlur
- Beehiiv
- Chartbeat
- Buttondown
- Arc Publishing
- Medium
- Parse.ly
- Inoreader
- Meltwater
- Substack
- ConvertKit
- Microsoft Start
- News Break
- NewsWhip
- Newswire
- NewsBlur
- Medium
Other News software
Free open source RSS reader for Mac and iOS, with no subscription, no ads and no feed limit
Open source11 researched notesThe enterprise publishing platform for news organizations
Pricing on request9 researched notesViral content tracking and audience insights for media companies
Pricing on request6 researched notes
Softwr does not host reviews and shows no star rating for Ghost, because a rating we did not collect is not ours to publish. What is here is the pricing and platform detail from the vendor’s own pages, limitations we could state concretely, and alternatives a reviewer confirmed people weigh against it. Tell us if any of it is wrong.
More on Ghost
Ghost alternatives
What people switch to, and what they give up
Ghost pricing
Every tier, and where the cost actually lands
Compare Ghost
Put it head to head with anything we hold
Ghost badge
Its rating, and an embed for your own site
Best News software alternatives
Subscription RSS and social feed reader for Apple platforms, with a separate one-time Classic version
Per user per monthFree open source RSS reader for Mac and iOS, with no subscription, no ads and no feed limit
Open source, no licence feeThe easiest way to start and grow your newsletter
