Suggestions appear as you type. Use the up and down arrows to choose one and Enter to open it.

This page's audience our own tag's counts — open to see them
–Visits
–Page views
–Clicks to vendors
–Time on page
–Reading now
Clicks to vendors, by tool
  • –
Top countries
  • –
Devices
  • –

– · visits, page views and clicks counted by our own tag, which counts more than our checked analytics; every figure rounded down · how we count

Head-to-head · Membership Site Platforms

Patreon vs Ghost

  • Updated Oct 2026
  • Both researched from official sources
  • 2 checks side by side
Higher score Patreon #1 in Membership Site Platforms 9.4/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 1 of 2 features Visit Patreon
Ghost #2 in Membership Site Platforms 9.2/10 14-day trial Free trial✓ 1 of 2 features Visit Ghost

Patreon leads on 1 check, Ghost on 0, and 1 is even. Who comes out ahead on the 2 yes/no, price and count checks where we have data for both products. The editor score weighs everything else too.

Our verdict

  • Highest scorePatreon · 9.4/10
  • Free planonly Patreon
  • Free trialonly Ghost

Patreon scores higher on our rubric for membership site platforms: 9.4 against 9.2 out of 10; our editors rank them #1 and #2.

Patreon offers free plan; Ghost doesn't.

Patreon is the better fit for creators starting a paid community affordably. Ghost is the better fit for publishers building paid member publications.

  • Patreon fits best

    Creators starting a paid community affordably

  • Ghost fits best

    Publishers building paid member publications

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 Patreon 9.4/10 Visit ↗ Ghost 9.2/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score 9.4 9.2
Ranking #1 in Membership Site Platforms #2 in Membership Site Platforms
Best for Creators starting a paid community affordably Publishers building paid member publications
Pricing model Free plan + paid Paid
Starting price — $18/mo
Free plan ✓ (best) —
Free trial — 14 days
Deployment Cloud, Mobile Cloud, Self-hosted
Platforms Web, iOS, Android Web
Support Tickets, Community, Docs Email, Community, Docs
Integrations 8 integrations 8,000+ integrations
Built for Solo, Small business, Mid-market Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise
Features Patreon 1/2 · Ghost 1/2
Custom domain ✓ ✓
Drip content Not checked yet Not checked yet
Specs
Content gating Post Post
Subscription billing Both Both
Member limit Not checked yet 1000 members
Transaction fee 10% platform fee for new creators, plus payment processing, currency conversion, payout fees, and applicable taxes 0% Ghost fee; payment processor fees apply
Our review
Pros
  • Free plan includes memberships, content gating, video, messaging, and analytics
  • Supports monthly and annual subscriptions plus one-time digital purchases
  • Connects communities with Discord, Spotify, RSS, and podcast feeds
  • 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
Cons
  • The standard platform fee is 10% for creator pages published after August 4, 2025
  • Additional payment processing, conversion, payout, and applicable tax fees apply
  • Community and publishing features are centered on the Patreon ecosystem
  • 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
Our verdict

Patreon is a web and mobile membership platform for creators who want to build communities, publish exclusive content, and earn through recurring memberships or one-time purchases. It suits creators starting a paid community affordably,…

Read the review →

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 →
  1. PatreonMembership Site Platforms 9.4Free plan
  2. GhostMembership Site Platforms 9.214-day trial

Strengths and trade-offs

  • Patreon — where it wins

    • Free plan includes memberships, content gating, video, messaging, and analytics
    • Supports monthly and annual subscriptions plus one-time digital purchases
    • Connects communities with Discord, Spotify, RSS, and podcast feeds

    Where it doesn't

    • The standard platform fee is 10% for creator pages published after August 4, 2025
    • Additional payment processing, conversion, payout, and applicable tax fees apply
    • Community and publishing features are centered on the Patreon ecosystem

  • 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
  • Patreon9.4/10 · Free plan

    An affordable way to sell memberships, content, and community access, with a 10% platform fee.

    Visit PatreonFull verdict →
  • Ghost9.2/10 · 14-day trial

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

    Visit GhostFull 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