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 · Blogging Platforms

WordPress.com vs Ghost

  • Updated Oct 2026
  • Both researched from official sources
  • 6 checks side by side
Higher score WordPress.com #1 in Blogging Platforms 9.4/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 4 of 4 features Visit WordPress.com
Ghost #3 in Blogging Platforms 9.0/10 14-day trial Free trial✓ 1 of 4 features Visit Ghost

WordPress.com leads on 2 checks, Ghost on 0, and 4 are even. Who comes out ahead on the 6 yes/no, price and count checks where we have data for both products. The editor score weighs everything else too.

Our verdict

  • Highest scoreWordPress.com · 9.4/10
  • Lowest starting priceWordPress.com · $2.75/mo
  • Free planonly WordPress.com
  • Free trialonly Ghost
  • Most featuresWordPress.com · 4 of 4

WordPress.com scores higher on our rubric for blogging platforms: 9.4 against 9.0 out of 10; our editors rank them #1 and #3.

WordPress.com offers free plan; Ghost doesn't. WordPress.com is cheaper to start at $2.75/mo against $18/mo.

WordPress.com is the better fit for most bloggers wanting an all-in-one hosted platform. Ghost is the better fit for publishers monetizing memberships and newsletters.

  • WordPress.com fits best

    Most bloggers wanting an all-in-one hosted platform

  • Ghost fits best

    Publishers monetizing memberships and newsletters

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 WordPress.com 9.4/10 Visit ↗ Ghost 9.0/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score 9.4 9.0
Ranking #1 in Blogging Platforms #3 in Blogging Platforms
Best for Most bloggers wanting an all-in-one hosted platform Publishers monetizing memberships and newsletters
Pricing model Free plan + paid Paid
Starting price $2.75/mo (best) $18/mo
Free plan ✓ (best) —
Free trial — 14 days
Deployment Cloud, Desktop, Mobile Cloud, Self-hosted
Platforms Web, Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android Web
Support Live chat, Community, Docs · 24/7 Email, Community, Docs
Compliance 2FA 2FA
Integrations 1 integrations 8,000+ integrations
Built for Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise
Features WordPress.com 4/4 · Ghost 1/4
Custom domain ✓ ✓
Post scheduling ✓ (best) Not checked yet
Built-in memberships ✓ (best) Not checked yet
Blog analytics ✓ (best) Not checked yet
Specs
Author limit Not checked yet Not checked yet
Theme customization Custom code Not checked yet
Our review
Pros
  • Free plan includes unlimited pages and posts
  • Managed hosting, security, backups, and updates
  • Paid plans add domains, plugins, analytics, and monetization
  • Paid subscriptions, membership tiers, and gated content
  • Email newsletters with member management and analytics
  • Open-source, self-hosted option with APIs and Stripe integration
Cons
  • Free sites use a WordPress.com subdomain
  • Free-plan stats cover only the last 7 days
  • Plugin installation is available only on paid plans
  • Ghost(Pro) has no free plan; the trial lasts 14 days
  • Paid subscriptions and advanced analytics start on Publisher
  • Business pricing rises to $199 per month, billed annually
Our verdict

WordPress.com is a hosted blogging and website publishing platform from Automattic Inc. It is designed for individuals, creators, businesses, and professional publications that want publishing tools, managed hosting, customizable themes,…

Read the review →

Ghost combines website publishing, email newsletters, member registration, protected posts, paid subscriptions, membership tiers, analytics, SEO tools, and developer APIs. It is designed for writers, creators, independent publishers,…

Read the review →
  1. WordPress.comBlogging Platforms 9.4Free plan
  2. GhostBlogging Platforms 9.014-day trial

Strengths and trade-offs

  • WordPress.com — where it wins

    • Free plan includes unlimited pages and posts
    • Managed hosting, security, backups, and updates
    • Paid plans add domains, plugins, analytics, and monetization

    Where it doesn't

    • Free sites use a WordPress.com subdomain
    • Free-plan stats cover only the last 7 days
    • Plugin installation is available only on paid plans

  • Ghost — where it wins

    • Paid subscriptions, membership tiers, and gated content
    • Email newsletters with member management and analytics
    • Open-source, self-hosted option with APIs and Stripe integration

    Where it doesn't

    • Ghost(Pro) has no free plan; the trial lasts 14 days
    • Paid subscriptions and advanced analytics start on Publisher
    • Business pricing rises to $199 per month, billed annually

More comparisons

All blogging platforms comparisons → · Full ranking →

Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026

Last updated · How we research and update