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Head-to-head · Membership Site Platforms

Ghost vs Appy Pie Membership Website Builder

  • Updated Oct 2026
  • Both researched from official sources
  • 4 checks side by side
Higher score Ghost #2 in Membership Site Platforms 9.2/10 14-day trial Free trial✓ 1 of 2 features Visit Ghost
Appy Pie Membership Website Builder #3 in Membership Site Platforms 9.0/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 2 of 2 features Visit Appy Pie

Ghost leads on 0 checks, Appy Pie Membership Website Builder on 1, and 3 are even. Who comes out ahead on the 4 yes/no, price and count checks where we have data for both products. The editor score weighs everything else too.

Our verdict

  • Highest scoreGhost · 9.2/10
  • Free planonly Appy Pie Membership Website Builder
  • Free trialonly Ghost
  • Most featuresAppy Pie Membership Website Builder · 2 of 2

Ghost scores higher on our rubric for membership site platforms: 9.2 against 9.0 out of 10; our editors rank them #2 and #3.

Appy Pie Membership Website Builder offers free plan; Ghost doesn't. On content gating, Appy Pie Membership Website Builder gives you Full_site where Ghost offers Post.

Ghost is the better fit for publishers building paid member publications. Appy Pie Membership Website Builder is the better fit for beginners wanting inexpensive AI-built membership sites.

  • Ghost fits best

    Publishers building paid member publications

  • Appy Pie Membership Website Builder fits best

    Beginners wanting inexpensive AI-built membership sites

Advertiser disclosure: iTechGuides is reader-supported. Vendors can pay for top positions in our rankings and for a place on other products' pages, and we may earn a commission when you click some links. Bought places stand at the number bought; this page and our disclosure say so. Paying vendors may get a fuller, more detailed review from our editors, and that review can change their score. How we rank.

Side by side

Feature Ghost 9.2/10 Visit ↗ Appy Pie Membership Website Builder 9.0/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score 9.2 9.0
Ranking #2 in Membership Site Platforms #3 in Membership Site Platforms
Best for Publishers building paid member publications Beginners wanting inexpensive AI-built membership sites
Pricing model Paid Free plan + paid
Starting price $18/mo $18/mo
Free plan — ✓ (best)
Free trial 14 days —
Deployment Cloud, Self-hosted Cloud
Platforms Web Web
Support Email, Community, Docs Email, Live chat · 24/7
Compliance 2FA PCI DSS
Integrations 8,000+ integrations 3 integrations
Built for Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise Solo, Small business, Mid-market
Features Ghost 1/2 · Appy Pie Membership Website Builder 2/2
Custom domain ✓ ✓
Drip content Not checked yet ✓ (best)
Specs
Content gating Post Full_site
Subscription billing Both Both
Member limit 1000 members Not checked yet
Transaction fee 0% Ghost fee; payment processor fees apply 0% platform transaction fee
Our review
Pros
  • Paid and tiered memberships with Stripe billing
  • Protected posts for free, paid, and tier-based access
  • Open-source core with self-hosting and developer APIs
  • AI-generated sites with drag-and-drop editing
  • Flexible gating, tiers, drip content, and billing periods
  • Stripe, PayPal, and Razorpay integrations with 0% platform fees
Cons
  • No courses or drip content
  • No free plan, although Ghost(Pro) offers a 14-day trial
  • Advanced plans become costly at $199 per month annually
  • Web-only platform
  • Payment integrations are limited to three listed providers
  • The plan structure is limited to Free and Paid plan
Our verdict

Ghost combines website publishing, email newsletters, member management, protected posts, paid subscriptions, and tiered access in one platform. It is designed for writers, creators, independent publishers, and media teams building…

Read the review →

Appy Pie Membership Website Builder is a no-code web platform for creators, coaches, educators, and community operators who want to launch membership sites. AI can generate a starting website, while the drag-and-drop editor supports…

Read the review →
  1. GhostMembership Site Platforms 9.214-day trial
  2. Appy Pie Membership Website BuilderMembership Site Platforms 9.0Free plan

Strengths and trade-offs

  • Ghost — where it wins

    • Paid and tiered memberships with Stripe billing
    • Protected posts for free, paid, and tier-based access
    • Open-source core with self-hosting and developer APIs

    Where it doesn't

    • No courses or drip content
    • No free plan, although Ghost(Pro) offers a 14-day trial
    • Advanced plans become costly at $199 per month annually

  • Appy Pie Membership Website Builder — where it wins

    • AI-generated sites with drag-and-drop editing
    • Flexible gating, tiers, drip content, and billing periods
    • Stripe, PayPal, and Razorpay integrations with 0% platform fees

    Where it doesn't

    • Web-only platform
    • Payment integrations are limited to three listed providers
    • The plan structure is limited to Free and Paid plan
  • Ghost9.2/10 · 14-day trial

    A focused membership platform for paid publications, newsletters, and protected posts.

    Visit GhostFull verdict →
  • Appy Pie Membership Website Builder9.0/10 · Free plan

    A beginner-friendly way to launch a web membership site with AI and paid access.

    Visit Appy PieFull verdict →

More comparisons

All membership site platforms comparisons → · Full ranking →

Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026

Last updated · How we research and update