MemberPress vs Ghost: Which is Better in 2026?
Choosing between MemberPress and Ghost comes down to understanding what each tool does best. This comparison breaks down the key differences so you can make an informed decision based on your specific needs, not marketing claims.
Bottom line: Ghost is our overall pick for blogging platforms workflows. Pick MemberPress if you need membership sites.
Short on time? Here's the quick answer
We've tested both tools. Here's who should pick what:
MemberPress
Sell memberships, courses, and downloads on WordPress
Best for you if:
- • You need membership sites features specifically
- • MemberPress is a powerful WordPress plugin for creating and managing membership sites, selling online courses, and building communities.
- • It offers extensive content restriction, flexible payment options, and tools for increasing average order value and member engagement.
Ghost
Professional publishing platform
Best for you if:
- • You want to try before committing
- • You need blogging platforms features specifically
- • Open-source publishing platform combining a blog, newsletter, and paid membership system with 0% platform fees
- • Self-host free or use Ghost(Pro) managed hosting starting at $18/mo for up to 1,000 members
| At a Glance |  MemberPress |  Ghost |
|---|---|---|
Starts at | $199.50/year/moLaunch | $18/mo (billed yearly)/moStarter |
Best For | Membership Sites | Blogging Platforms |
Rating | - | - |
Choose MemberPress or Ghost?
Choose MemberPress if
Sell memberships, courses, and downloads on WordPress
- Comprehensive suite of features for membership, courses, coaching, and community building within WordPress.
- Easy setup and user-friendly interface with tools like ReadyLaunch™ and a Setup Wizard, requiring no coding skills.
- Extensive content access control (paywalling) for various content types, including posts, pages, and custom post types.
- Your work is membership sites-shaped, not blogging platforms-shaped
Choose Ghost if
Professional publishing platform
- Zero platform transaction fees on paid memberships, only standard Stripe fees apply
- Purpose-built for content monetization with native newsletters and subscriptions
- Open source and fully self-hostable with no vendor lock-in
- Your work is blogging platforms-shaped, not membership sites-shaped
| Feature | MemberPress | Ghost |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing Model | Paid | Freemium |
| User Rating | ★4.7/5 641 reviews | ★4.5/5 94 reviews |
| Categories | Membership SitesE-commerce | Blogging PlatformsCMS |
In-Depth Analysis
MemberPress
Sell memberships, courses, and downloads on WordPress
Strengths
- +Comprehensive suite of features for membership, courses, coaching, and community building within WordPress.
- +Easy setup and user-friendly interface with tools like ReadyLaunch™ and a Setup Wizard, requiring no coding skills.
- +Extensive content access control (paywalling) for various content types, including posts, pages, and custom post types.
- +Supports a wide range of payment gateways, including credit cards, digital wallets (Apple Pay, Google Wallet), PayPal, Square, and Authorize.net.
- +Includes advanced features like content dripping, customizable coupons, order bumps, and bulk membership sales (Corporate Accounts).
Weaknesses
- -Transaction fees are applied to the lowest-tier plan (Launch), which can reduce profit margins.
- -Some advanced features like the complete Easy Affiliate™ Platform, full API access, and Amazon S3 integration are only available on the highest-tier plan (Scale).
- -While offering extensive features, the sheer number of options might present a learning curve for absolute beginners despite the ease-of-use claims.
Key features
Ghost
Professional publishing platform
Strengths
- +Zero platform transaction fees on paid memberships, only standard Stripe fees apply
- +Purpose-built for content monetization with native newsletters and subscriptions
- +Open source and fully self-hostable with no vendor lock-in
- +Clean, fast editor that stays out of the way for long-form writing
- +Strong SEO defaults including structured data, canonical URLs, and sitemaps
Weaknesses
- -Managed Ghost(Pro) pricing scales with member count, which gets expensive at scale
- -Theme customization requires Handlebars knowledge, no drag-and-drop page builder
- -Plugin ecosystem is limited compared to WordPress
- -Self-hosting requires Node.js server management and manual updates
- -No built-in commenting system, requires third-party integration
Key features
Pricing: MemberPress vs Ghost
| Plan | MemberPress | Ghost |
|---|---|---|
| Tier 1 | $199.50/year Launch | Free Self-Hosted |
| Tier 2 | $349.50/year Growth | $18/mo (billed yearly) Starter |
| Tier 3 | $499.50/year Scale | $29/mo (billed yearly) Publisher |
| Tier 4 | N/A | $199/mo (billed yearly) Business |
| Tier 5 | N/A | Contact us Custom |
Pricing verified from each vendor's public pricing page. Compare in detail on MemberPress pricing and Ghost pricing.
Who Should Use What?
On a budget?
Ghost has a free tier. MemberPress is paid only.
Go with: Ghost
Want the highest-rated option?
Neither has user reviews yet.
Go with: MemberPress
Value user reviews?
Neither has user reviews yet.
Go with: Ghost
3 Questions to Help You Decide
What's your budget?
MemberPress is paid. Ghost is freemium. Ghost lets you start free.
What's your use case?
MemberPress is a membership sites tool. Ghost is in blogging platforms. Pick the category that matches your needs.
How important are ratings?
Neither has user reviews yet.
Key Takeaways
Ghost
- Free tier available
- Our pick for this comparison
MemberPress
- Higher user rating: 4.7/5 vs 4.5/5
- Larger review base (641 reviews)
- Better fit for membership sites
The Bottom Line
Ghost is our pick.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is MemberPress or Ghost better?
Ghost is rated in our evaluation. MemberPress is paid and Ghost is freemium.
What are MemberPress and Ghost used for?
MemberPress: Sell memberships, courses, and downloads on WordPress. Ghost: Professional publishing platform.
What does MemberPress cost vs Ghost?
MemberPress is a paid tool. Ghost is freemium (free tier + paid plans). Visit their websites for detailed pricing.