Ghost vs MemberPress: Which is right for you? (1970)
TL;DR
- Choose Ghost if keeping fees low matters most.
- Choose MemberPress if you want the simplest, fastest setup.
- Both work for: memberships.
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.
MemberPress
Basic $179/year. Plus $299/year. Pro $399/year.
The most popular WordPress membership plugin. Handles subscriptions, content restriction, course selling, and drip content. Works with Stripe, PayPal, and others.
Pricing comparison
Feature comparison
Best for
Ghost is best for Newsletters, blogs, Memberships, indie creators, open source, Creators. MemberPress is best for WordPress, Memberships, Courses, content paywalls, independent publishers, Publishers.
FAQ
Is Ghost better than MemberPress?
Neither is universally better. Ghost is the right pick if keeping fees low matters most; MemberPress wins if you want the simplest, fastest setup.
Which is cheaper, Ghost or MemberPress?
Ghost ranks higher on fee competitiveness (5/5). Ghost pricing: Self-hosted: free. Ghost(Pro): from $9/month. Stripe handles payments (0% platform fee).. MemberPress pricing: Basic $179/year. Plus $299/year. Pro $399/year..
Can I switch from Ghost to MemberPress?
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 Ghost handle sales tax?
No. Ghost does not handle tax registrations — you handle those yourself or via a separate tool.
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