Ghost is a self-hosted or managed blogging platform optimized for content creators with built-in membership and newsletter features, while ConvertKit is a dedicated email marketing platform designed specifically for creators with advanced automation and audience segmentation. Ghost requires more technical setup but offers greater control, whereas ConvertKit excels in email marketing functionality with minimal configuration.
Ghost vs ConvertKit — Side-by-side comparison on A Versus B
Self-hosted or managed blogging platform with built-in memberships and newsletter functionality.
Creator-focused email marketing platform with advanced automation and audience management.
Primary Purpose. Email Automation Features. Monthly Cost (starter plan). Content Management System. Membership/Paywall Capability. Email List Growth Tools. Setup Complexity
Choose Ghost if you want a content-first platform with native membership/paywall capabilities and control over your publishing infrastructure, or if you're bootstrapping with self-hosting. Choose ConvertKit if email marketing automation and subscriber growth are your primary focus, you want a turnkey solution with zero technical setup, and you plan to scale your email list significantly.
Ghost: Variable by creator | ConvertKit: N/A
Ghost: 8-40+ hours | ConvertKit: 4-6 hours
Ghost: Advanced (meta tags, sitemaps, structured data) | ConvertKit: N/A
Ghost: Full custom themes and CSS control | ConvertKit: N/A
Ghost: Minimal, relies on external traffic | ConvertKit: N/A
Ghost: Subscriptions, memberships, ads, sponsorships | ConvertKit: N/A
Ghost: $18 (starter plan) | ConvertKit: N/A
Ghost: Built-in (native feature) | ConvertKit: N/A
Ghost: 2-3 limited options | ConvertKit: N/A
Ghost: 0% (self-hosted) or $25-333/month (managed) | ConvertKit: N/A
Ghost: 30-60 minutes plus hosting | ConvertKit: N/A
Ghost: Full creator ownership (self-hosted) | ConvertKit: N/A
Ghost: Newsletter, comments, member walls | ConvertKit: N/A
Ghost: Complete; full white-label | ConvertKit: N/A
Ghost: 2-5 days (processor dependent) | ConvertKit: N/A
Ghost: Unlimited (self-hosted limits by server) | ConvertKit: N/A
Ghost: Web-only; no native apps | ConvertKit: N/A
Ghost: Not disclosed (smaller ecosystem) | ConvertKit: N/A
Ghost: $199/year (Ghost Pro) | ConvertKit: N/A
Ghost: 9/10 (full code access) | ConvertKit: N/A
Ghost: 30-60 minutes (with setup) | ConvertKit: N/A
Ghost: 400+ (through open-source ecosystem) | ConvertKit: N/A
Ghost: 100% (creator owns all) | ConvertKit: N/A
Average Writer Earnings (Partner Program)
Ghost: Variable (unlimited potential) | ConvertKit: N/A
Ghost: 10/10 (full control) | ConvertKit: N/A
Ghost: $29 (Ghost Pro) / Free (self-hosted) | ConvertKit: $25 (paid plan)
Ghost: No additional fees | ConvertKit: N/A
Ghost: No built-in limit; integrates Stripe/PayPal | ConvertKit: N/A
Ghost: 15-20 professional themes | ConvertKit: N/A
Ghost: Native segmentation, automation, design builder | ConvertKit: N/A
Ghost: Built-in tiers, gating, paywalls, analytics | ConvertKit: N/A
Ghost: Basic XML sitemaps, structured data, redirects | ConvertKit: N/A
Ghost: 14 days for Ghost(Pro) | ConvertKit: 14 days
Ghost: Scales to 1,000,000+ | ConvertKit: N/A
Ghost: Self-hosted only | ConvertKit: N/A
Ghost: $29 (unlimited) | ConvertKit: $79+
Ghost: ~20 templates | ConvertKit: 100+ templates
Ghost: Yes (full tier support) | ConvertKit: No (requires integration)
Ghost: 30-60 minutes | ConvertKit: 5-10 minutes
Ghost: Full-featured publishing platform | ConvertKit: Landing pages only
Ghost: Yes (full self-hosting available) | ConvertKit: No (cloud-only, vendor lock-in)
Ghost: Yes (extensive public API) | ConvertKit: Yes (API available)
Ghost: $29 (Professional plan) | ConvertKit: N/A
Ghost: 0% on memberships | ConvertKit: N/A
Ghost: Segmentation, A/B testing, automation workflows | ConvertKit: N/A
Ghost: Unlimited custom tiers | ConvertKit: N/A
Ghost: Full REST API with custom code access | ConvertKit: N/A
Ghost: $348 (Professional) + hosting | ConvertKit: N/A
Ghost: 14 days (self-hosted free indefinitely) | ConvertKit: N/A
Ghost: 150+ via Zapier/API | ConvertKit: N/A
Monthly Newsletter Subscriber Allowance (Free Tier)
Ghost: No, managed-only | ConvertKit: N/A
Ghost: Native, built-in feature | ConvertKit: N/A
Ghost: $29 (Ghost Pro managed) | ConvertKit: $25
Ghost: Yes (open-source) | ConvertKit: N/A
Ghost: 15 premium themes | ConvertKit: N/A
Ghost: Native memberships with paywalls | ConvertKit: N/A
Ghost: Basic product pages; not primary focus | ConvertKit: N/A
Ghost: Built-in with automation and segmentation | ConvertKit: N/A
Ghost: Yes (Ghost Pro); No (self-hosted requires setup) | ConvertKit: N/A
Ghost: 99.9% (Ghost Pro) | ConvertKit: N/A
Ghost: $0 (self-hosted) or $199 (managed) | ConvertKit: N/A
Ghost: 0-10% (platform fee varies by plan) | ConvertKit: N/A
Ghost: 120+ minutes (requires hosting setup) | ConvertKit: N/A
Ghost: Unlimited (full code access) | ConvertKit: N/A
Ghost: Articles, newsletters, audio, video, courses, memberships, podcasts | ConvertKit: N/A
Ghost: No native recommendation algorithm | ConvertKit: N/A
Ghost: Full REST API with webhooks and custom integrations | ConvertKit: N/A
Ghost: Yes, with automation | ConvertKit: N/A
Ghost: Theme-based (~30% customization) | ConvertKit: N/A
Monthly Bandwidth Included (Starter Plan)
Ghost: Self-hosted: 60-120 min; Managed: 15-20 min | ConvertKit: N/A
Ghost: ~1.2 million publishers (estimated) | ConvertKit: N/A
Ghost: Complete; full JSON export, subscriber lists accessible | ConvertKit: N/A
Ghost: 3 methods (subscriptions, memberships, email sponsorships) | ConvertKit: N/A
Ghost: Stripe coverage: 195+ countries | ConvertKit: N/A
Ghost: Segmentation, conditional logic, A/B testing, automation workflows | ConvertKit: N/A
Ghost: $29 (Ghost Pro) or $0 (self-hosted) | ConvertKit: $25 (up to 1,000 subscribers)
Ghost: Yes - native paywall with Stripe | ConvertKit: No - requires third-party tool
Ghost: Basic (simple sequences, limited conditions) | ConvertKit: Advanced (conditional logic, behavioral triggers, multi-step)
Ghost: Full CMS with custom themes, SEO tools, member-only content | ConvertKit: Limited (landing pages, basic blog, no custom themes)
Ghost: No - requires custom development or third-party | ConvertKit: Yes - 50+ templates included
Ghost: 7 (self-hosted) or 3 (Pro) | ConvertKit: 2 (sign up and start immediately)
Ghost: $29 (Ghost Pro) or $0 (self-hosted) | ConvertKit: $350-$500 (pay-as-you-grow pricing)
Ghost: 50+ via Zapier, direct integrations minimal | ConvertKit: 100+ direct integrations (Stripe, YouTube, Gumroad, etc.)
Ghost: N/A | ConvertKit: Basic subscriber management
Ghost: N/A | ConvertKit: Standard (simple sequences, tags)
Ghost: N/A | ConvertKit: $119 (10k subscriber tier)
Ghost: N/A | ConvertKit: $33/month (Creator plan, billed yearly)
Ghost: N/A | ConvertKit: 1,000 subscribers
Ghost: N/A | ConvertKit: Advanced (sequences, conditionals, tags, delays)
Ghost: N/A | ConvertKit: Yes - full course and digital product platform
Ghost: N/A | ConvertKit: Email, help center, community forum
Ghost: N/A | ConvertKit: 0 (creator-owned only)
Ghost: N/A | ConvertKit: 100% (creator owned)
Ghost: N/A | ConvertKit: Full-featured email marketing with automation
Ghost: N/A | ConvertKit: Full export available
Ghost: N/A | ConvertKit: Unlimited (creator-controlled)
Ghost: N/A | ConvertKit: No (third-party required)
Ghost: N/A | ConvertKit: Basic API integration only
Ghost: N/A | ConvertKit: Tags, purchase history, custom fields
Ghost: N/A | ConvertKit: 12-18 hours average
Ghost: N/A | ConvertKit: Tag-based (limited)
Ghost: N/A | ConvertKit: None (paid only)
Ghost: N/A | ConvertKit: Creator sequences
Ghost: N/A | ConvertKit: Paid add-on ($9+/mo)
Ghost: N/A | ConvertKit: Yes, native feature
Ghost: N/A | ConvertKit: Yes, built-in matching
Ghost: N/A | ConvertKit: $0 (0-1K subs), then $29-$99/month
Ghost: N/A | ConvertKit: 1,000 subscribers included
Ghost: N/A | ConvertKit: Free tier available
Ghost: N/A | ConvertKit: Unlimited (free tier)
Ghost: N/A | ConvertKit: 0.5 weeks (2-3 days)
Ghost: N/A | ConvertKit: Basic - simple conditional triggers and tags
Ghost: N/A | ConvertKit: No - email only
Ghost: N/A | ConvertKit: Yes - built-in subscriber tiers and pricing
Ghost: N/A | ConvertKit: 60-120 minutes (setup, integrations, templates)
Ghost: N/A | ConvertKit: $29/month (1,000 subscribers)
Ghost: N/A | ConvertKit: 500K+ creators (estimated 15M engaged readers)
Ghost: N/A | ConvertKit: Advanced sequences, conditional logic, behavioral triggers
Ghost: N/A | ConvertKit: $15,000+ (ConvertKit creator average)
Ghost: N/A | ConvertKit: Unlimited tags, dynamic segments, behavioral rules
Ghost: N/A | ConvertKit: None - requires external traffic sources
Ghost: N/A | ConvertKit: 40-50% (ConvertKit creator average)
Creator Plan Monthly Cost (Annual Billing)
Ghost: N/A | ConvertKit: $25 (Creator plan)
Ghost: N/A | ConvertKit: No - requires Zapier/API
Ghost: N/A | ConvertKit: Advanced multi-path sequences
Ghost: N/A | ConvertKit: No - requires OpenAI integration
How to choose between Ghost and ConvertKit
Ghost vs ConvertKit — Structured Comparison Data
Machine-readable comparison dataset for Ghost vs ConvertKit. Contains 183 attribute comparisons, 5 FAQ pairs.
Ghost vs ConvertKit — Attribute Category Vocabulary
Taxonomy of attribute categories used to classify comparison data for Ghost vs ConvertKit.
Can I use Ghost as my main email marketing platform?
Ghost has basic email features (newsletter distribution, simple segments), but it lacks advanced automation, behavioral triggers, and sophisticated segmentation that dedicated platforms like ConvertKit offer. Ghost works well for sending newsletters to your audience, but ConvertKit is superior for email marketing strategy.
Can I monetize my audience with ConvertKit?
ConvertKit doesn't have a native paywall, but you can monetize through email with sponsorships, affiliate marketing, and digital product sales using integrations with Stripe or Gumroad. Ghost has a built-in paywall for paid memberships, making it more straightforward for direct revenue from subscribers.
Which platform is better for scaling to 50,000+ subscribers?
Ghost remains fixed at $29/month regardless of subscriber count, making it dramatically cheaper at scale. ConvertKit pricing scales with subscribers ($350-$500+/month at 50k subscribers). If growth is your goal, Ghost's economics are superior at large subscriber counts.
Do I need technical skills to use these platforms?
ConvertKit requires minimal technical knowledge—it's designed for non-technical creators. Ghost's Pro version is beginner-friendly, but self-hosting Ghost requires understanding of servers, Node.js, and domain management. Most non-technical creators should choose Ghost Pro or ConvertKit.
Which is better for building a personal brand?
Ghost is better if your brand is content-first (blog, newsletter, paid community). ConvertKit is better if your brand is email-centric and you're building a highly segmented, personalized audience with advanced marketing automation. Both work, but they serve different brand strategies.
How to Choose Between Ghost and ConvertKit
Primary Purpose: Ghost has Publishing platform with integrated email & memberships, while ConvertKit has Email marketing platform with content hosting.
Email Automation Features: Ghost has Basic segments, simple automation workflows, while ConvertKit has Advanced conditional logic, multi-step sequences, behavioral triggers.
Monthly Cost (starter plan): Ghost has $29 (Ghost Pro) or $0 (self-hosted), while ConvertKit has $25-$50 (depends on subscriber count).
Content Management System: Ghost has Full-featured blog/publication CMS with custom themes, while ConvertKit has Limited landing pages and simple blog features.
Membership/Paywall Capability: Ghost has Native membership system with Stripe integration built-in, while ConvertKit has No native paywall; requires third-party integration.
Email List Growth Tools: Ghost has Forms, popups, exit-intent on website, while ConvertKit has Advanced forms, landing pages, tag-based segmentation, recommendation engine.
Setup Complexity: Ghost has Medium to High (self-hosted requires server knowledge; Pro is easier), while ConvertKit has Low (intuitive interface, minimal configuration).