Alternatives
Best Ghost alternatives in 2026
Data compiled by Toolradar Updated How we rate
Cite this list: Toolradar, best Ghost alternatives 2026, toolradar.com/alternatives/ghost
6 direct alternatives to Ghost, compared on pricing, features, and best-for use cases. Pick the right replacement without the marketing fluff.
Quick answer
- WordPress is the top alternative to Ghost on our list, followed by Medium and Squarespace.
- 5 of the 6 alternatives have a free plan, starting with WordPress.
- Highest rated: Medium, 4.7 out of 5 from 5,708 ratings, Aug 2026.
- 6 alternatives
- 5 with a free plan
Top 3 alternatives to Ghost
WordPress
#1 Top pickBuild any site, from blogs to e-commerce, with a flexible CMS
Pricing
Free
3.5 /5 across Trustpilot and G2 · 9,793 ratings, Sep 2026
Our take
Best overall
Medium
#2Publishing platform for ideas and stories
Starting price
From $5 /mo
Cheapest paid plan, monthly, as of October 2026
4.7 /5 across TrustRadius and G2 · 5,708 ratings, Aug 2026
Our take
Highest rated
Squarespace
#3Build beautiful, code-free websites with integrated e-commerce and scheduling
Starting price
From $12 /mo
Cheapest paid plan, monthly, as of October 2026
4.5 /5 across G2 and Capterra · 4,558 ratings, Sep 2026
Ghost vs 6 alternatives
| Tool | Starting price (Oct 2026) | Free plan | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Price: $18/mo | Free plan: Yes | 3.9 out of 5, from 264 ratings across G2, Capterra and SourceForge (264) |
| Price: Free | Free plan: Yes | 3.5 out of 5, from 9,793 ratings across Trustpilot and G2 (9,793) |
| Price: $5/mo | Free plan: Yes | 4.7 out of 5, from 5,708 ratings across TrustRadius and G2 (5,708) |
| Price: $12/mo | Free plan: No | 4.5 out of 5, from 4,558 ratings across G2 and Capterra (4,558) |
 | Price: Free | Free plan: Yes | 4.2 out of 5, from 1,908 ratings across SourceForge and G2 (1,908) |
 | Price: $20/mo | Free plan: Yes | 4.5 out of 5, from 265 ratings on Capterra (265) |
 | Price: Free + paid | Free plan: Yes | 2.4 out of 5, from 179 ratings across G2 and Trustpilot (179) |
Why people consider alternatives to Ghost
Ghost is an open-source publishing platform purpose-built for professional bloggers, journalists, and creators who want to run membership-based content businesses.
Teams most often switch away when one of these starts to bite:
- Pricing at scale as usage or premium tiers add up.
- Missing integrations with the rest of your stack.
- Performance or scale limits as your needs grow.
- A specific feature gap you have hit in cms.
The 6 alternatives below cover the same core job (CMS) with different trade-offs.
Ghost by the numbers
Toolradar data: Ghost's entry paid plan ($18/mo, billed yearly) ranks #3 of 24 for price among the Membership Sites tools with a verified entry price and no stated unit, where the median is $45/mo. Its head-to-head comparison pages had 99 visits in the last 30 days, ranking #1 of 14 tools with 20+ compare-page visits in Membership Sites. As of Oct 2026.
- #26 most-listed alternative in Writing & Content, out of 524 tools in Writing & Content. Source: Toolradar data, Oct 2026.
- #4 most-listed alternative in CMS, out of 80 tools in CMS. Source: Toolradar data, Oct 2026.
- #2 most-listed alternative in Blogging Platforms, out of 16 tools in Blogging Platforms. Source: Toolradar data, Oct 2026.
| Metric | Ghost | Peer median | Position (1 is best) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Entry paid plan | $18/mo, billed yearly | $45/mo | #3 of 24 tools with no stated price unit, verified price |
| Free plan | Yes | 34% have one | n/a |
| Listed as an alternative to | 36 tools | 3 | #5 of 50 (joint) |
| Integrations listed | 8 | 2 | #1 of 11 tools with at least one integration recorded |
| User rating | 3.9/5 (across the web, 264 ratings) | 4.3/5 | #31 of 38 (joint) tools with 20+ reviews |
| Compare-page visits, last 30 days | 99 visits | 32 | #1 of 14 tools with 20+ compare-page visits |
Visitors most often compare Ghost with WordPress (last 30 days, Oct 2026).
Listed as an alternative to: #6 on 2026-10-16 to #5 on 2026-10-31 (rank among 50 tools, 1 is best).
Each position is counted among the tools that have data for that row, as noted under it. A lower entry price ranks higher; prices are read on vendor pages and compared only with tools priced on the same basis. All Membership Sites data · How we compute this. Advertising and placement fees are not inputs to any position. Visit counts include visits from every source.
Cite this: Toolradar, “Ghost by the numbers”, Oct 2026.
CMS leaderboards from Toolradar data
Toolradar ranks CMS tools on one measure at a time, only where at least 8 tools have data. As of Oct 2026.
Lowest entry price, plans with no stated unit
Cheapest standard paid plan per month (annual prices divided by 12), read on vendor pages and compared only with tools priced on the same basis.
Counted among 28 tools with no stated price unit, verified price.
| # | Tool | Entry plan |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Siteground | $2.99/mo, billed monthly |
| 2 | WordPress.com | $4/mo, billed monthly |
| 3 | Kirki | $4.92/mo, billed yearly |
| 4 | Bricks Builder | $6.58/mo, billed yearly |
| 5 | Breakdance | $8.33/mo, billed yearly |
A position exists only when at least 8 tools have data for that metric. 28 of 80 CMS tools have a verified price; the others publish none we could read (often "contact sales"). Advertising and placement fees are not inputs to any position. Visit counts include visits from every source. How we compute this. Cite this: Toolradar, “CMS leaderboards”, Oct 2026. Data licensed CC BY 4.0. All CMS statistics.
6 alternatives to Ghost
Ranked by G2 and Capterra ratings, media mentions, and editor review, plus how directly they replace Ghost.
- 1
WordPress
100% free Battle-tested at scaleBuild any site, from blogs to e-commerce, with a flexible CMS
3.5 /5 across Trustpilot and G2 · 9,793 ratings, Sep 2026
Free
- 2
Medium
Free plan Higher rated by usersPublishing platform for ideas and stories
4.7 /5 across TrustRadius and G2 · 5,708 ratings, Aug 2026
From $5/mo, billed monthly; free plan available
- 3
Squarespace
Paid Higher rated by usersBuild beautiful, code-free websites with integrated e-commerce and scheduling
4.5 /5 across G2 and Capterra · 4,558 ratings, Sep 2026
From €12/mo, billed yearly
- 4
Wix
Free plan Higher rated by usersDesign unique websites with unparalleled drag-and-drop freedom
4.2 /5 across SourceForge and G2 · 1,908 ratings, Sep 2026
From Free
- 5
Webflow
Free plan Higher rated by usersVisual web development platform
4.5 /5 on Capterra · 265 ratings, May 2026
From $20/mo, billed monthly; free plan available
- 6
Substack
Free planNewsletter platform for writers
2.4 /5 across G2 and Trustpilot · 179 ratings, Sep 2026
Free plan available; paid prices not published
Frequently asked questions
What is the best alternative to Ghost?
Based on real-signal scoring (G2 and Capterra ratings, media mentions, and editorial review), the top alternatives to Ghost are WordPress, Medium, Squarespace. Each solves the same core job with different trade-offs on pricing, features, and integrations.
Is there a free alternative to Ghost?
Yes. WordPress is 100% free (no paid upgrade path) (Build any site, from blogs to e-commerce, with a flexible CMS). Freemium tools on this list offer a free tier with paid upgrades; they are not the same as fully free.
Why do people look for Ghost alternatives?
Common reasons teams switch away from Ghost: pricing that scales aggressively, missing integrations with the rest of their stack, performance or scale limits, or a specific feature gap in cms. The alternatives on this page solve the same core problem with different trade-offs.
Side-by-side comparisons
In-depth comparison pages for Ghost versus each alternative.
Review Ghost, get a free AI guide
Share your experience and we will send you Improve Your Thinking Patterns Using ChatGPT, free.
Still considering Ghost?
See the full review, pricing breakdown, and community feedback before you decide.