Ghost vs WordPress.com: website builder pricing compared
Updated 2026-11-10 · listed A to Z, not ranked
Ghost is an open-source publishing platform for blogs, newsletters and paid memberships. Ghost(Pro) is its hosted service, priced by plan and audience size.
WordPress.com is the hosted version of WordPress. Its monthly price drops the longer the term you prepay. The WordPress.org software itself is free and open source; you pay separately for hosting if you run it yourself.
Listed A to Z, from ghost.org and wordpress.com. Every figure below is quoted from those pages.
- Main price table
- Starter, Publisher, Business, Custom
- Free option
- Starter: $15/month
- Published prices
- Starter $15/mo, Publisher $29/mo, Business $199/mo billed yearly, Custom plans. No payment fees on paid subscriptions.
- Main price table
- Personal, Premium, Business, Commerce
- Free option
- None in the published plan table
- Published prices
- Personal, Premium, Business and Commerce per month on monthly, 1-year, 2-year and 3-year billing, plus how it differs from WordPress.org.
How we checked: Prices quoted from each official pricing page: Ghost checked Nov 10, 2026, WordPress.com checked Nov 10, 2026. Taxes, usage overages and promotions can change what you pay; confirm with each provider before you buy.
How they compare
- Main price table. Ghost lists 4 entries (Starter, Publisher, Business, Custom); WordPress.com lists 4 (Personal, Premium, Business, Commerce).
- Lowest listed paid tier. Ghost: Starter $15/mo. WordPress.com: Personal $2.75, 3-year. Billing terms differ (per user or flat, monthly or annual), so check what each tier includes below.
- Free option. Ghost: Starter: $15/month. WordPress.com: none in the published plan table.
- How prices are quoted. Ghost: “Ghost(Pro) plans (billed yearly)”. WordPress.com: “Plans (price per month)”.
Ghost plans and prices
| Plan | Price | Includes |
|---|---|---|
| Starter | $15/month | 1 staff user; website, free custom domain, email newsletter; 1,000 members |
| Publisher | $29/month | 3 staff users; custom themes; paid subscriptions; 1,000 members |
| Business | $199/month | 15 staff users; priority support; 10,000 members |
| Custom | Custom | Unlimited staff and members; dedicated IP; 99.9% uptime SLA |
Prices as displayed with yearly billing at the default audience setting. Ghost says it takes no payment fees.
From ghost.org, checked Nov 10, 2026. Full breakdown: Ghost pricing.
WordPress.com plans and prices
| Plan | Monthly | 1-year | 2-year | 3-year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Personal | $9 | $4 | $3.25 | $2.75 |
| Premium | $18 | $8 | $6.50 | $5.50 |
| Business | $40 | $25 | $20 | $17.50 |
| Commerce | $70 | $45 | $36 | $31.50 |
From wordpress.com, checked Nov 10, 2026. Full breakdown: WordPress.com pricing.
FAQ
How much does Ghost cost?
Starter $15/mo, Publisher $29/mo, Business $199/mo billed yearly, Custom plans. No payment fees on paid subscriptions. (checked Nov 10, 2026).
How much does WordPress.com cost?
Personal, Premium, Business and Commerce per month on monthly, 1-year, 2-year and 3-year billing, plus how it differs from WordPress.org. (checked Nov 10, 2026).
Do Ghost and WordPress.com have a free option?
Ghost: Starter: $15/month. WordPress.com: none in the published plan table.
What is the cheapest paid plan, Ghost or WordPress.com?
Lowest listed paid tier: Ghost Starter $15/mo; WordPress.com Personal $2.75, 3-year (as quoted on each pricing page). Billing units differ, so compare what each includes.
Which is better, Ghost or WordPress.com?
We do not pick a winner. The two price and package their products differently; the tables above quote each official pricing page so you can match a plan to your own usage.
Where do these prices come from?
Each vendor's own pricing page: ghost.org (checked Nov 10, 2026) and wordpress.com (checked Nov 10, 2026). Prices change; confirm on the vendor's page before you buy.
Sources (official pages, read 2026-11-10)
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