Ghost vs WordPress 2024: The Ultimate Comparison
The two most popular open-source blogging platforms head to head 2024
Ghost and WordPress are two of the most popular open-source publishing platforms used by millions around the world.
But which one is better for you in 2024?
Today, I'll compare Ghost vs WordPress across all the key factors like costs, features, ease of use, customization, support, and more.
By the end, you'll have all the details to decide which platform is the best fit for your needs as a publisher, writer, or content creator this year.
Overview of Ghost and WordPress
Ghost is a newer lightweight platform focused solely on publishing content, while WordPress started as a blogging tool but evolved into a full content management system (CMS) and website builder.
Ghost
You can read my full Ghost review for 2024 here ↗.
Founded in 2013 as a non-profit Kickstarter project for independent publishers
Currently has over 2.5 million installs but only around 7,000 active users
Built as a streamlined publishing platform with fast speeds and a distraction-free writing experience
The main focus is publishing content, email newsletters, and memberships
Available as open-source software or hosted Ghost(Pro) plans
WordPress
Launched in 2003 and powers over 43% of all websites
Used by top media publications, bloggers, and businesses
Started as a blogging platform but expanded into a flexible CMS and website builder
Has a thriving community with thousands of free themes, plugins, tutorials, and support forum
Available in two versions — self-hosted open source WordPress.org or hosted WordPress.com plans
Ease of Use
For writers and publishers, a key factor is how easy the platform is to use for creating content.
Ghost's Ease of Use
Very intuitive and beginner-friendly interface
Dashboard focuses solely on writing and publishing
Distraction-free full-screen editor to concentrate on content
Writing workflow similar to WordPress block editor
Markdown formatting helps speed up content creation
Overall simpler to use than WordPress but offers less flexibility
WordPress' Ease of Use
Needs some learning initially to understand key concepts
Creating content is easy with the WordPress block editor
Customizing a site requires learning about themes, plugins, widgets etc
Huge selection of settings can seem overwhelming at first
Integrated visual editor makes formatting content simple
Drag and drop page builders available to build custom pages
Overall easy to use for publishing content once basics are learned
Customization Options
Customizing the design and adding functionality is crucial for publishers and content creators.
Ghost Customization
Comes with free themes but the selection is limited to around 20 options
Additional premium themes available for purchase
Lets users develop custom themes with Handlebars
All site settings and customizations done under one Settings menu
Can modify colors, fonts, logo, and other design elements
Code injection allows adding custom CSS and JavaScript
WordPress Customization
Massive selection of free and premium themes on WordPress.org
Ability to customize any theme's design and settings
Create child themes for advanced customizations without touching the parent theme
Extend functionality with over 59,000 free plugins
Drag and drop page builders like Elementor to create custom pages
Open-source software allows full control over code for advanced users
Unparalleled flexibility to build any kind of website
Costs and Pricing
The costs involved in using Ghost or WordPress can vary based on your requirements.
Ghost Pricing
Open-source Ghost software is free to download
Will require paying separately for hosting and domain
Managed Ghost(Pro) plans start from $9/month for starter plan
More advanced plans available up to $199/month for business plan
Costs based on the number of views, users, members, and features
WordPress Pricing
Self-hosted WordPress.org software is 100% free
Hosting starts from around $7.99/month for basic shared plans
Bluehost officially recommended WordPress host offers 69% off with free domain
Managed WordPress.com plans range from $4 to $45 monthly
Plugins, themes, and services are optional costs for added functionality
SEO Features
Search engine optimization is vital for publishers to drive traffic and get website visitors.
Ghost's SEO
Solid built-in SEO like metadata, sitemaps, canonical tags
Integrates with Google Search Console
Clean code and fast page speeds enhance SEO
Lack of plugins limits advanced customizations
WordPress SEO
SEO-friendly platform with editable URLs, meta tags, etc
Further optimization possible with SEO plugins
Plugins like Yoast SEO and RankMath offer advanced customizations
Manage redirects, integrate with tools, and write SEO meta for each post
Active community provides tutorials on optimizing WordPress sites
Support and Community
Getting help when needed is crucial, so the availability of documentation and community support is compared.
Ghost Support
Provides online knowledge base and documentation
Email support available on paid Ghost(Pro) plans
Smaller but growing community forum to get help
WordPress Support
Extensive official documentation and forums
Massive online community with tutorials and articles
Most hosts provide WordPress-specific support
Theme and plugin developers offer assistance with their products
Huge network of developers available for hire
E-commerce Features
Making money from your content, products, or services is important. So Ghost and WordPress ecommerce capabilities are examined.
Ghost E-commerce
Focused on selling memberships and subscriptions
Easy to create different membership levels
Built-in tools to put content behind member paywalls
Integrated email newsletter capabilities
WordPress E-commerce
Robust e-commerce support with WooCommerce plugin
Build online stores with products, payments, and shipping
Sell digital goods, physical products, subscriptions and more
Flexible options for payments, shipping, taxes, and accounting
Integrates with email and marketing tools
Self-Hosting Options
Advanced users may want to self-host their Ghost or WordPress site for full control.
Self-Hosted Ghost
Open-source software is free to download
Requires technical expertise to manually install and configure
Limited hosting providers optimized for Ghost
DigitalOcean provides preconfigured Ghost server images
Self-Hosted WordPress
Freely downloadable open-source WordPress software
One-click install options from most major hosting providers
Thousands of web hosts optimized for WordPress
Easy migration, backups, updates, and security management
Support articles help guide self-hosted setup
Alternative Publishing Platforms
Beyond Ghost and WordPress, there are other popular publishing and blogging platforms like Medium, Substack and Blogger that have their own pros and cons.
Popular centralized blogging platform used by millions
Very easy publishing but limited customization options -Medium handles hosting, distribution and readership
Best for beginners wanting exposure quickly
Specialized for sending paid newsletters
Allows writers to monetize and build audience
Limited options for full website creation
Focused on email-based publication model
Easy tools for writers to charge subscriptions
Free blogging platform owned by Google
Very limited customization and monetization
Allows basic blog creation and publishing
Lacks features of Ghost and self-hosted WordPress
Alternative for new users testing blogging
These platforms cater to specific use cases like email newsletters or basic blogging but lack the flexibility and ownership that Ghost and WordPress provide. For professional publishers needing custom sites and monetization, Ghost and WordPress are more full-featured options.
Bottom Line: Ghost vs WordPress
So when looking at Ghost vs WordPress, which publishing platform comes out on top in 2024?
Key Factors Favoring WordPress
Lower startup costs with free open-source software
Massive selection of themes and plugins for flexibility
Scales easily from basic blogs to full-featured websites
Larger support community with extensive tutorials
Better optimized for SEO (if you use plugins) and driving website traffic
More e-commerce options beyond just memberships
Key Factors Favoring Ghost
Streamlined interface optimized solely for publishing
Easier to use than WordPress for non-technical users
Built-in SEO, email marketing, and membership tools
Affordable managed Ghost(Pro) hosting plans
Minimalist design leads to fast webpage speeds
Ideal for writers and publishers focused just on content
Overall, WordPress emerges as the winner if you need a highly flexible and customizable platform optimized for search engines that can power websites beyond just a blog or publications.
However, Ghost is better suited for writers and publishers who want a platform solely focused on creating content with built-in tools for monetization, without unnecessary complexities.
So assess your specific needs as a publisher, writer, or content creator. Both Ghost and WordPress have their merits, but WordPress offers greater capabilities for growing an online business and presence long-term.