Ghost vs Readymag
Ghost and Readymag are both website builders tools. Ghost is aimed at creators and small businesses, while Readymag is aimed at agencies and creators. Ghost costs less, from $18/mo versus $19/mo for Readymag. Both have a free plan.
| Pricing | Open source · $18 | Freemium · $19 |
| Starting price | $18/mo | $19/mo |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | 14 days | — |
| Built for | Creators, Small businesses | Agencies, Creators |
| Platforms | web | web |
| Country | SG · 2013 | US · 2013 |
| Rating | — | — |
Choose Ghost if
Writers, publishers and companies who want an owned, SEO-strong publication with memberships and no revenue share.
- No revenue share on memberships
- Open source and self-hostable
- Fast, SEO-friendly and focused on publishing
Look elsewhere if: Marketing sites with many page types or people wanting Substack's built-in discovery network.
Choose Readymag if
Designers making expressive sites.
- Design freedom
- Beautiful editorial layouts
- No code
Look elsewhere if: Content-heavy CMS sites.
Ghost vs Readymag pricing
Ghost
- Self-hosted$0MIT license; you run the server and email
- Starter$18/mo$15/mo billed yearly; 1,000 members, 1 staff user
- Publisher$35/mo$29/mo billed yearly; 1,000 members, 3 staff users
- Business$239/mo$199/mo billed yearly; 15 staff users
- CustomCustomUnlimited members and staff
Readymag
- Free$01 website up to 10 pages on Readymag domain
- Personal$19/mo$168/yr billed annually
- Freelancer$38/mo$348/yr billed annually
- Advanced$65/mo$702/yr billed annually
- ExtraCustomCustom plan
Ghost · Key features
- Modern editor with cards, embeds and SEO settings
- Built-in newsletters with Mailgun delivery
- Paid memberships and tiers via Stripe, 0% fees
- Themes (Handlebars) and custom domains
- Native analytics, comments, recommendations and ActivityPub
- REST and Content APIs; self-hostable under MIT
Cons
- Not a general-purpose site builder
- Theme customization requires Handlebars and code
- Self-hosting needs server skills
Readymag · Key features
- Free-form canvas
- Animations
- Typography control
- Templates
- Custom code
- Collaboration
Cons
- Not for large CMS
- Responsive design manual
- Pricing for teams
Ghost vs Readymag: FAQ
Which is cheaper, Ghost or Readymag?
Ghost starts at $18/mo and Readymag at $19/mo. Both prices are checked on the vendors' own pricing pages.
Do Ghost and Readymag have a free plan?
Yes, both Ghost and Readymag have a free plan; paid plans add more usage and features.
Which is better for small businesses, Ghost or Readymag?
Ghost lists small businesses as a core audience, while Readymag is aimed more at agencies and creators.