vioscaleAI
Comparison

Ghost vs Payload CMS

On the evidence we track, Ghost leads this comparison with a composite score of 72/100. Scores are only directly comparable because these tools share a category; the full breakdown and every source is below.

Ghost full profile →Payload CMS full profile →
Machine formatsMarkdownJSONGraphQLMarkdown is open. JSON and GraphQL need a free key.
★Ghost72
Payload CMS54
Score
vioscaleAI score
Ghost72 / 100medium · 69%
Payload CMS54 / 100low · 18%
Pricing
Free tier
Ghost✗
Payload CMS✓
Model
Ghostcommercial
Payload CMSopen_source
Price level
Ghostmid
Payload CMSfree
Starting price
Ghost$18
Payload CMS–
Transparent
Ghost✓
Payload CMS✗
Integrations
Count
Ghost8,000
Payload CMS5
Security
Gdpr
Ghost✓
Payload CMS–
Scorecard
Ghost3.8
Payload CMS–
Trust center
Vulnerabilities
Reliability
Sla pct
Ghost99.9
Payload CMS–
Status page
Ghost✓
Payload CMS–
Adoption
Dependent repos
Ghost468
Payload CMS–
Github stars
Ghost55,540
Payload CMS–
Package downloads weekly
Ghost15,292
Payload CMS–
Activity
Commits last 30d
Ghost100
Payload CMS–
Release
Cadence days
Ghost5
Payload CMS–
History
Ghost20 items
Payload CMS–
License
Spdx
GhostMIT
Payload CMS–
Language
Primary
GhostTypeScript
Payload CMS–
Market
Availability
Content
Faq
Ghost8 items
Payload CMS6 items

Capabilities

Feature-by-feature on the axes that matter for cms software. “-” means undocumented, not absent.

Core
CMS type
GhostTraditional / monolithic
Payload CMSHeadless / API-first
Licensing
Open-source
Ghost✓
Payload CMS✓
Deployment
Self-hostable
Ghost✓
Payload CMS✓
Managed / cloud hosting offered
Ghost✓
Payload CMS✓
Delivery
Headless API (REST/GraphQL)
Ghost✓
Payload CMS✓
Content
Structured content modelling
Ghost✓
Payload CMS✓
Localisation / i18n
Ghost✓
Payload CMS✓
Content workflow / approvals
Ghost✓
Payload CMS✓
Editing
Visual / no-code page builder
Ghost✓
Payload CMS✓
Extensibility
Plugin / app ecosystem size
Ghost8,000+ integrations
Payload CMSCommunity-driven with templates and GitHub integration
Scale
Multi-site / multi-tenant
Ghost✗
Payload CMS✓
Workflow
Git-based / code-first workflow
Ghost✓
Payload CMS✓
Pricing
Free / open tier
Ghost✓
Payload CMS✓

What each one is

The product in its own terms, so the numbers below have context.

Ghost

Leader

An open-source platform enabling content creators to manage websites, send newsletters, and offer paid subscriber memberships all in one unified system. Includes native analytics, content editor, and extensive integration support.

Independently observed

Payload CMS

A Node.js-based framework providing an instant TypeScript backend, administrative interface, and deployment flexibility. Functions as both a headless content management system and a foundation for building custom applications.

Independently observed

Pricing

List pricing as published by each vendor, with the date we read it. Always verify at the source before you buy.

Ghost

Leader
from $18/moSubscription14-day trial

From $18/mo. Free 14-day trial.

  • Starter$18/mo
    • Website hosting
    • Free custom domain
    • Email newsletters
    • Simple design settings
    • Unlimited email sends
  • Publisher$29/mo
    • Custom themes
    • 8000+ integrations
    • Paid subscriptions
    • Advanced analytics
    • Whitelist branding
    • +2 more
  • Business$199/mo
    • Priority support
    • Higher usage limits
    • Early access to features
  • CustomContact sales
    • Advanced configurations
    • Dedicated IP address
    • 99.9% uptime SLA
    • Unlimited members
as of verify ↗

Payload CMS

Open sourceFree tier14-day trial

Open source. Payload Cloud available with 14-day free trial.

  • Payload CloudFree
as of verify ↗

Platform & deployment

Where each product runs and how it can be hosted. A dash means undocumented, not unsupported.

Platforms
Web
Ghost✓
Payload CMS✓
CLI
Ghost✗
Payload CMS✓
Deployment
Cloud / SaaS
Ghost✓
Payload CMS✗
Self-hosted
Ghost✓
Payload CMS✓

Integrations

What each product connects to. Counts come from the vendor's own integration directory where one exists.

In common (1)
  • Stripe

Ghost

Leader
10 total - 9 not shared
  • Slack
  • Zapier
  • n8n
  • BeyondWords
  • GitHub
  • Google Analytics
  • Plausible
  • Instagram
  • Tinybird
Independently observed

Payload CMS

8 total - 7 not shared
  • Nodemailer
  • Resend
  • SendGrid
  • Ethereal
  • SMTP
  • MongoDB
  • PostgreSQL
Independently observed
Still deciding?

Ghost or Payload CMS: which one depends on you

A composite score cannot know your constraints. Describe them and both get re-weighted against what you actually need, with the evidence behind every position.

Free to run, no account needed to start. How the evaluation works

Comparison generated from independently-sourced facts. Every value links to its source and retrieval date. See the method.