Circle vs Ghost: Which is right for you? (1970)
TL;DR
- Choose Circle if you want the simplest, fastest setup.
- Choose Ghost if keeping fees low matters most.
- Both work for: memberships.
Circle
Professional from $89/month. 0% transaction fee.
Clean community platform for creators and coaches. Courses, live streams, events, and memberships in one place. 0% transaction fee on all plans.
Ghost
Self-hosted: free. Ghost(Pro): from $9/month. Stripe handles payments (0% platform fee).
Open source publishing platform with native paid memberships via Stripe. 0% platform fee — only Stripe's processing costs. Best for established writers who want full control.
Pricing comparison
Feature comparison
Best for
Circle is best for Communities, Courses, Memberships, Creators, coaching, Digital products. Ghost is best for Newsletters, blogs, Memberships, indie creators, open source, Creators.
FAQ
Is Circle better than Ghost?
Neither is universally better. Circle is the right pick if you want the simplest, fastest setup; Ghost wins if keeping fees low matters most.
Which is cheaper, Circle or Ghost?
Ghost ranks higher on fee competitiveness (5/5). Circle pricing: Professional from $89/month. 0% transaction fee.. Ghost pricing: Self-hosted: free. Ghost(Pro): from $9/month. Stripe handles payments (0% platform fee)..
Can I switch from Circle to Ghost?
Yes — most subscription and billing tools support migration via CSV import or API. Expect to reconfigure webhooks, paywalls, and entitlements. Check both vendors' migration docs before committing.
Does Circle handle sales tax?
No. Circle does not handle tax registrations — you handle those yourself or via a separate tool.
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