Ghost vs Squarespace
- ✦ Blog Publishing
- ✦ Newsletter
- ✦ Memberships & Subscriptions
- ✦ Website Templates
- ✦ Drag-and-Drop Editor
- ✦ E-Commerce
Ghost and Squarespace are both Website Builders tools. Ghost starts at $18/mo, Squarespace at $14/mo. Compare features, pricing, and ratings below to find the best fit for your team.
When to Choose Ghost vs Squarespace
The question that matters: “In what situation will I regret choosing A over B after 3 months?”
Ghost's API powers custom publishing workflows: push posts from external tools, sync subscribers to CRMs, or trigger webhooks when members join.
Website Templates and Drag-and-Drop Editor get portfolios live in 2 hours; adding a Custom Domain lifts Google rankings for name-based searches.
Ghost's Memberships & Subscriptions handle recurring billing natively, with Analytics surfacing churn and free-to-paid conversion rates in one dashboard.
Ghost's SEO Tools configure meta descriptions and structured data from within the editor. Automatic XML sitemaps help technical posts rank without extra plugin overhead.
Native Analytics shows which posts drive member signups and which newsletter segments open most - so content strategy stays grounded in real engagement data.
E-Commerce handles payments without per-transaction markups, with built-in inventory and order tracking - a complete storefront from zero in 3-4 days.
Blog paired with SEO Tools delivers 15-25% more organic traffic for consultants publishing weekly, while Analytics reveals which posts generate qualified leads.
Pricing Comparison & PlansHigh· Verified May 30, 2026
Ghost Plans
Paid plans only
Starter
$18/moBest for: $15/mo (billed yearly) gets you 1 staff user, Custom domain, Email newsletter, 1,000 members
- ✓Website & blog
- ✓Basic membership
- ✓Custom domain
- ✓Email newsletters
- ✓SEO tools
Publisher
$35/moBest for: $29/mo (billed yearly) gets you 3 staff users, Custom themes, Paid subscriptions, 1,000 members
- ✓All Starter features
- ✓Paid memberships
- ✓Advanced membership options
- ✓Email automation
- ✓Custom themes
Business
$239/moBest for: $249/mo (billed yearly) gets you 15 staff users, Priority support, 10,000 members
- ✓Premium themes
- ✓Advanced integrations
- ✓Priority support
- ✓Enhanced analytics
Enterprise
Contact Sales- ✓Dedicated support
- ✓Custom contract
- ✓Scaling assistance
Squarespace Plans
Paid plans only
Basic
$14/moBest for: This plan is suitable for individuals or small businesses needing a simple online presence with essential website features
- ✓Free Custom Domain (for annual plans)
- ✓SSL Security
- ✓Unlimited Bandwidth
- ✓Mobile-Optimized Websites
- ✓Up to 2 contributors
Core
$20/moBest for: The Core plan offers more advanced features than Basic, ideal for growing businesses that require enhanced ecommerce capabilities or more robust marketing tools
- ✓Free Custom Domain (for annual plans)
- ✓SSL Security
- ✓Unlimited Bandwidth
- ✓Mobile-Optimized Websites
- ✓Unlimited Contributors
Plus
$39/moBest for: The Plus plan is a custom solution designed for larger enterprises or businesses with unique, complex requirements
- ✓All Core features
- ✓Advanced shipping
- ✓Advanced discounts
- ✓Abandoned cart recovery
- ✓Merchandising tools
Advanced
$99/moBest for: The Advanced plan provides highly specialized, custom solutions for very large organizations or those with specific high volume demands
- ✓All Plus features
- ✓Subscriptions
- ✓Commerce APIs
- ✓Limited availability products
- ✓Advanced shipping
Capability Breakdown
5 differences found across 18 standardized features
- •Blog Publishing
- •Newsletter
- •Memberships & Subscriptions
- •Custom Themes
- •SEO Tools
- •Native Analytics
- •Custom Domain
- •API
- •Integrations
- •Email Newsletters
- •Paid Content
- •Open Source
- •Markdown Editor
- •Member Portal
- •Custom Code Injection
- •Website Templates
- •Drag-and-Drop Editor
- •E-Commerce
- •Blog
- •Custom Domain
- •SSL
- •SEO Tools
- •Analytics
- •Email Marketing
- •Scheduling
- •Member Areas
- •Video Content
- •Social Media Integration
- •Mobile Optimized
- •24/7 Support
Strengths & Limitations
Evaluative strengths and weaknesses: not feature lists
- +Native memberships, subscriptions, and newsletters
- +Modern, fast tech stack (Node.js) for better site speed
- +Creator-first, non-profit model with no transaction fees
- +Clean, minimalist editor focused purely on writing
- +Fully open-source with robust API for custom development
- −Limited native e-commerce features beyond memberships
- −Smaller theme and plugin ecosystem compared to WordPress
- −Requires some technical comfort for self-hosting or advanced customization
- −Steeper pricing for official hosting than many shared hosting providers
- −No built-in visual page builder for complex, non-post layouts
- +Award-winning, design-forward templates feel custom-built
- +Fluid Engine editor offers precise, grid-based creative control
- +All-in-one platform includes scheduling, email marketing, and memberships
- +Strong native blogging tools with advanced formatting and scheduling
- +Integrated Acuity Scheduling is best-in-class for service businesses
- −No free plan available, only a 14-day trial
- −Editor has a steeper learning curve than simpler block-based builders
- −Limited third-party app marketplace compared to competitors like Wix or Shopify
- −No multi-level navigation (sub-sub-menus) without custom code
- −Transaction fees (3%) on the Business plan; must upgrade to Commerce plans to avoid them
At a Glance
Recent Price History
Ghost removed the "Team" plan
Plan removed · May 30, 2026
Ghost removed the "Creator" plan
Plan removed · May 30, 2026
Ghost lowered "Business" from $249/mo to $239/mo (-4%)
Price change · May 30, 2026
Ghost added a new "Publisher" plan at $35/mo
Plan added · May 30, 2026
Ghost raised "Starter" from $15/mo to $18/mo (+20%)
Price change · May 30, 2026
Squarespace removed the "Enterprise" plan
Plan removed · May 30, 2026
Squarespace removed the "Commerce Advanced" plan
Plan removed · May 30, 2026
Squarespace removed the "Commerce Basic" plan
Plan removed · May 30, 2026
Squarespace removed the "Business" plan
Plan removed · May 30, 2026
Squarespace removed the "Personal" plan
Plan removed · May 30, 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Related Comparisons
Sources & Data Trail · Ghost
- 1.Official Pricing Page·Source of verified tiers(Checked: 2026-05-30)
- 2.Official Website·Official vendor website
- 3.G2·G2 verified reviews · 4.1/5 · 39 reviews
- 4.Capterra·Capterra verified reviews · 4.6/5
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Sources & Data Trail · Squarespace
- 1.Official Pricing Page·Source of verified tiers(Checked: 2026-05-30)
- 2.Official Website·Official vendor website
- 3.G2·G2 verified reviews · 4.4/5 · 200 reviews
- 4.Capterra·Capterra verified reviews · 4.6/5
- 5.TrustRadius·TrustRadius verified reviews
- 6.PeerSpot·PeerSpot enterprise peer reviews