WordPress vs Ghost

WordPress9.3Visit Ghost9.0Visit

Higher score WordPress #2 in Blogging Platforms 9.3/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 0 of 4 features Visit WordPress

vs

Ghost #3 in Blogging Platforms 9.0/10 14-day trial Free trial✓ 1 of 4 features Visit Ghost

• WordPress fits best

  Power users and teams wanting maximum control

• Ghost fits best

  Publishers monetizing memberships and newsletters

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Side by side

Feature	WordPress 9.3/10 Visit ↗	Ghost 9.0/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score	9.3	9.0
Ranking	#2 in Blogging Platforms	#3 in Blogging Platforms
Best for	Power users and teams wanting maximum control	Publishers monetizing memberships and newsletters
Pricing model	Free	Paid
Starting price	Free plan	$18/mo
Free plan	✓ (best)	—
Free trial	—	14 days
Deployment	Self-hosted	Cloud, Self-hosted
Platforms	Web	Web
Support	Community, Docs	Email, Community, Docs
Built for	Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise	Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise
Features WordPress 0/4 · Ghost 1/4
Custom domain	Not checked yet	✓ (best)
Post scheduling	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Built-in memberships	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Blog analytics	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Specs
Author limit	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Theme customization	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Our review
Pros	Deep editorial workflows, roles, media, SEO, and structured content Themes, plugins, APIs, and custom content types support broad extensibility Open-source software with no licensing fees and a free downloadable core	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	Requires compatible hosting and user-managed infrastructure Hosting, domains, maintenance, themes, and plugins may add costs Its breadth can be more than smaller publishing projects need	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 is open-source publishing software and a content management system for creators, small businesses, publishers, developers, and enterprises. The downloadable software supports websites, blogs, portals, online communities, and… 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 →

Strengths and trade-offs

• WordPress — where it wins

  • Deep editorial workflows, roles, media, SEO, and structured content
  • Themes, plugins, APIs, and custom content types support broad extensibility
  • Open-source software with no licensing fees and a free downloadable core

  Where it doesn't

  • Requires compatible hosting and user-managed infrastructure
  • Hosting, domains, maintenance, themes, and plugins may add costs
  • Its breadth can be more than smaller publishing projects need

• 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

• WordPress9.3/10 · Free plan

  A highly configurable publishing system for teams that can manage self-hosted infrastructure.

  Visit WordPressFull verdict →
• Ghost9.0/10 · 14-day trial

  A flexible publishing platform for newsletters, memberships, gated content, and paid subscriptions.

  Visit GhostFull verdict →