WordPress is a free, open-source CMS powering 43% of all websites with extensive customization through 58,000+ plugins, while Ghost is a paid, proprietary platform ($29-$199/month) focused on membership and newsletter monetization with a streamlined editor. WordPress excels for flexibility; Ghost excels for content creators seeking built-in monetization.
Ghost vs WordPress — Side-by-side comparison on A Versus B
Open-source CMS powering 43% of websites with 58,000+ plugins and themes
Membership-focused publishing platform with built-in subscriptions and newsletters
Cost Model. Market Share. Built-in Monetization. Plugin Ecosystem. Learning Curve. Customization Depth. Community Support
Choose WordPress if you need maximum flexibility, low cost, and extensive plugin support for any project type (ecommerce, enterprise, portfolio, etc.). Choose Ghost if you're a content creator or publisher seeking simplicity, built-in membership/subscription features, and a distraction-free writing environment without worrying about technical configuration.
WordPress: 30-60 minutes (with hosting) | Ghost: 30-60 minutes plus hosting
WordPress: $100-200 (hosting only) | Ghost: N/A
WordPress: 6.9 (RC 7.0 March 2026) | Ghost: N/A
WordPress: Self-hosted (user managed) | Ghost: N/A
WordPress: $4 (WordPress.com) + $20-100 hosting | Ghost: N/A
WordPress: $260-2200+ (hosting, plugins, maintenance) | Ghost: N/A
WordPress: $4 (managed) / $0 (self-hosted) | Ghost: N/A
WordPress: Yes - requires plugins for advanced features | Ghost: N/A
WordPress: Yes - Yjs CRDT engine in WP 7.0 | Ghost: N/A
WordPress: 2.5-4.0s (varies with plugins) | Ghost: N/A
WordPress: Partial - WordPress 7.0 adds core AI (plugin-dependent before) | Ghost: N/A
WordPress: ~58,000 plugins | Ghost: 200+
WordPress: 4-8 hours | Ghost: 0.5-1 hour
WordPress: Via plugins (WooCommerce, MemberPress) | Ghost: Built-in (native feature)
WordPress: 15+ top options | Ghost: 2-3 limited options
WordPress: $60-300+ per year | Ghost: N/A
WordPress: ~810 million (43% of web) | Ghost: Not disclosed (smaller ecosystem)
WordPress: 100% (you keep all) | Ghost: N/A
WordPress: Easy via XML export (9/10) | Ghost: N/A
WordPress: 2-5 hours (updates, security, backups) | Ghost: N/A
WordPress: $0-15 | Ghost: $18 (starter plan)
WordPress: 2-3% via Stripe/PayPal plugins | Ghost: N/A
WordPress: 10 (full code access) | Ghost: N/A
WordPress: You manage updates, SSL, backups | Ghost: N/A
WordPress: $240 + hosting ($10-50/month) | Ghost: N/A
WordPress: Beginner (0-6 months experience) | Ghost: N/A
Reported Security Vulnerabilities (2024)
WordPress: 156 plugin/theme CVEs | Ghost: N/A
WordPress: Extensive—drag-drop, theme customizer, page builders | Ghost: N/A
WordPress: $5-15 (hosting only) | Ghost: N/A
WordPress: Intermediate to Advanced | Ghost: N/A
WordPress: Full export capability | Ghost: N/A
WordPress: Full (robots.txt, schema, redirects) | Ghost: N/A
WordPress: 20-40 hours (with learning) | Ghost: N/A
WordPress: $180-360 (hosting only) | Ghost: N/A
WordPress: 10,000+ free & premium | Ghost: N/A
WordPress: Unlimited (WooCommerce) | Ghost: N/A
WordPress: 1.5-2.5 seconds (optimized) | Ghost: N/A
WordPress: $0 (self-hosted, domain only) | Ghost: N/A
WordPress: $25-50/month (WP Engine, Kinsta managed hosting) | Ghost: N/A
WordPress: 2-4 hours (theme selection, plugin setup) | Ghost: N/A
WordPress: 38% (WooCommerce dominates) | Ghost: N/A
WordPress: 99% (varies by host) | Ghost: N/A
WordPress: 2.9% + $0.30 (Stripe) | Ghost: No additional fees
WordPress: Depends on host (typically 99.9%) | Ghost: N/A
WordPress: Community forums + paid support | Ghost: N/A
WordPress: Complete control via robots.txt, .htaccess, code injection | Ghost: N/A
WordPress: Full export and migration flexibility | Ghost: N/A
WordPress: $3-10/month + free software | Ghost: N/A
WordPress: 58,000+ plugins + 10,000+ themes | Ghost: N/A
WordPress: No, separate purchase | Ghost: N/A
WordPress: $4-$300/month | Ghost: $29-$199/month
WordPress: Yes, completely free | Ghost: No, managed-only
WordPress: Requires plugins (WooCommerce, MemberPress) | Ghost: Native, built-in feature
WordPress: N/A | Ghost: Variable by creator
WordPress: N/A | Ghost: Advanced (meta tags, sitemaps, structured data)
WordPress: N/A | Ghost: Full custom themes and CSS control
WordPress: N/A | Ghost: Minimal, relies on external traffic
WordPress: N/A | Ghost: Subscriptions, memberships, ads, sponsorships
WordPress: N/A | Ghost: $9-$199/month or $0 self-hosted
WordPress: N/A | Ghost: Full creator ownership (self-hosted)
WordPress: N/A | Ghost: Newsletter, comments, member walls
WordPress: N/A | Ghost: Complete; full white-label
WordPress: N/A | Ghost: 2-5 days (processor dependent)
WordPress: N/A | Ghost: Unlimited (self-hosted limits by server)
WordPress: N/A | Ghost: Web-only; no native apps
WordPress: N/A | Ghost: $199/year (Ghost Pro)
WordPress: N/A | Ghost: 9/10 (full code access)
WordPress: N/A | Ghost: 30-60 minutes (with setup)
WordPress: N/A | Ghost: 400+ (through open-source ecosystem)
WordPress: N/A | Ghost: 100% (creator owns all)
Average Writer Earnings (Partner Program)
WordPress: N/A | Ghost: Variable (unlimited potential)
WordPress: N/A | Ghost: 10/10 (full control)
WordPress: N/A | Ghost: $29 (Ghost Pro) / Free (self-hosted)
WordPress: N/A | Ghost: No built-in limit; integrates Stripe/PayPal
WordPress: N/A | Ghost: 15-20 professional themes
WordPress: N/A | Ghost: Native segmentation, automation, design builder
WordPress: N/A | Ghost: Built-in tiers, gating, paywalls, analytics
WordPress: N/A | Ghost: Basic XML sitemaps, structured data, redirects
WordPress: N/A | Ghost: 14 days for Ghost(Pro)
WordPress: N/A | Ghost: Scales to 1,000,000+
WordPress: N/A | Ghost: Self-hosted only
WordPress: N/A | Ghost: Yes (full tier support)
WordPress: N/A | Ghost: Full-featured publishing platform
WordPress: N/A | Ghost: Yes (full self-hosting available)
WordPress: N/A | Ghost: Yes (extensive public API)
WordPress: N/A | Ghost: $29 (Professional plan)
WordPress: N/A | Ghost: 0% on memberships
WordPress: N/A | Ghost: Segmentation, A/B testing, automation workflows
WordPress: N/A | Ghost: Unlimited custom tiers
WordPress: N/A | Ghost: Full REST API with custom code access
WordPress: N/A | Ghost: $348 (Professional) + hosting
How to choose between WordPress and Ghost
Ghost vs WordPress — Structured Comparison Data
Machine-readable comparison dataset for Ghost vs WordPress. Contains 140 attribute comparisons, 5 FAQ pairs.
Ghost vs WordPress — Attribute Category Vocabulary
Taxonomy of attribute categories used to classify comparison data for Ghost vs WordPress.
Is WordPress really free compared to Ghost?
WordPress.org (self-hosted) is completely free to download and use, though you'll pay for hosting ($2-$50/month typically). WordPress.com managed hosting starts at $4/month. Ghost has no free tier—it costs $29-$199/month. For budget-conscious users, WordPress self-hosted is significantly cheaper; for managed simplicity, Ghost is still more expensive than WordPress.com.
Can I set up memberships and charge readers on WordPress?
Yes, but only through plugins like WooCommerce, MemberPress, or Restrict Content Pro. These add complexity and cost ($50-$500+ annually). Ghost has memberships built-in as a core feature with member management, email newsletters, and payment processing all native to the platform—no additional plugins needed.
Ghost typically loads 50-60% faster (600-900ms vs 1,200-2,500ms) because it uses modern Node.js architecture and fewer dependencies. WordPress requires optimization through caching plugins, image compression, and CDN services to match Ghost's baseline performance. However, a well-optimized WordPress site can equal or exceed Ghost's speed.
Can I move my WordPress site to Ghost later?
Migration is possible but manual—there's no automated importer. You'll need to export WordPress content (posts, pages, users) and re-import it into Ghost, which may require technical assistance. Ghost supports direct import from some platforms, but full feature parity (custom post types, complex taxonomies) isn't guaranteed.
Ghost's managed hosting is inherently more secure (automatic updates, DDoS protection). WordPress requires active maintenance: regular updates, security plugins (Wordfence, Sucuri), and secure hosting. Self-hosted WordPress can be as secure as Ghost if properly maintained, but requires ongoing vigilance. WordPress.com managed is also secure by default.
How to Choose Between WordPress and Ghost
Cost Model: WordPress has Free (self-hosted) or $4-$300/month (managed), while Ghost has $29-$199/month (subscription-based).
Market Share: WordPress has 43% of all websites, while Ghost has <1% of websites.
Built-in Monetization: WordPress has Requires plugins (WooCommerce, etc.), while Ghost has Native memberships, subscriptions, newsletters.
Plugin Ecosystem: WordPress has 58,000+ plugins available, while Ghost has 200+ integrations (no plugin system).
Learning Curve: WordPress has Moderate to steep (many options), while Ghost has Gentle (simplified interface).
Customization Depth: WordPress has Near-unlimited (code access), while Ghost has Limited to Ghost's design framework.
Community Support: WordPress has 500,000+ developers, forums, agencies, while Ghost has 15,000+ active users in community.