Ghost vs Wix
Ghost and Wix are both website builders tools. Ghost is aimed at creators and small businesses, while Wix is aimed at small businesses and freelancers. Ghost costs less, from $18/mo versus $24/mo for Wix. Both have a free plan.
| Pricing | Open source · $18 | Freemium · $24 |
| Starting price | $18/mo | $24/mo |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | 14 days | — |
| Built for | Creators, Small businesses | Small businesses, Freelancers |
| Platforms | web | web, ios, android |
| Country | SG · 2013 | IL · 2006 |
| 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 Wix if
Small businesses and non-technical users who want everything included.
- Easiest all-around site builder for beginners
- Broad business features (bookings, stores, events)
- Strong AI and template library
Look elsewhere if: Content-heavy sites (WordPress), design agencies wanting output control (Webflow), or anyone who may migrate later.
Ghost vs Wix 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
Wix
- Free$0Wix subdomain and ads
- Light$24/mo$17/mo billed annually; 2 GB, 2 collaborators
- Core$36/mo$29/mo billed annually; 50 GB, basic eCommerce
- Business$46/mo$39/mo billed annually; 100 GB, standard eCommerce
- Business Elite$172/mo$159/mo billed annually; unlimited storage
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
Wix · Key features
- Drag-and-drop editor and AI website generation
- 800+ templates and Wix Studio for agencies
- E-commerce, bookings, events, restaurants and blog apps
- Wix App Market and Velo for custom code
- Built-in SEO tools, analytics and marketing
- Hosting, SSL and domain management included
Cons
- No site export; locked in
- Pricing tiers are confusing
- Can be slower than optimized builders
Ghost vs Wix: FAQ
Which is cheaper, Ghost or Wix?
Ghost starts at $18/mo and Wix at $24/mo. Both prices are checked on the vendors' own pricing pages.
Do Ghost and Wix have a free plan?
Yes, both Ghost and Wix have a free plan; paid plans add more usage and features.