Ghost vs Payload CMS
On the evidence we track, Ghost leads this comparison with a composite score of 65/100. Scores are only directly comparable because these tools share a category; the full breakdown and every source is below.
Capabilities
Feature-by-feature on the axes that matter for cms software. “-” means undocumented, not absent.
What each one is
The product in its own terms, so the numbers below have context.
Ghost
LeaderGhost is a publishing platform that helps independent publishers create and host websites, publish content via email newsletters, and manage paid member subscriptions. It provides built-in tools for audience growth, subscriber engagement, and content distribution.
Payload CMS
A flexible, developer-friendly headless CMS and backend framework built on Next.js that supports cloud and self-hosted deployment, offering code-first development for developers and visual content interfaces for marketers.
Pricing
List pricing as published by each vendor, with the date we read it. Always verify at the source before you buy.
Ghost
LeaderFrom $18/mo billed annually. Free 14-day trial.
- Starter$18/mo billed annually
- Your own website
- Free custom domain
- Email newsletter
- Simple design settings
- 1 staff user
- +2 more
- Publisher$29/mo billed annually
- 3 staff users
- Custom themes
- 8,000+ integrations
- Paid subscriptions
- Advanced analytics
- +3 more
- Business$199/mo billed annually
- 15 staff users
- Priority support
- Higher usage limits
- Early access to features
- 250MB file uploads
- +6 more
- CustomContact sales
- Unlimited staff users
- Advanced configurations
- Dedicated IP address
- 99.9% uptime SLA
- Unlimited members
- +3 more
Payload CMS
Free and open-source. Paid cloud hosting with 14-day trial for new signups; enterprise available on quarterly billing.
Platform & deployment
Where each product runs and how it can be hosted. A dash means undocumented, not unsupported.
Integrations
What each product connects to. Counts come from the vendor's own integration directory where one exists.
Ghost
Leader- Slack
- Zapier
- n8n
- BeyondWords
Payload CMS
- Nodemailer
- Resend
- SendGrid
- Stripe
- Ethereal
- SMTP
Comparison generated from independently-sourced facts. Every value links to its source and retrieval date. See the method.