How Crisp and Ghost compare
Crisp is a shared inbox that small teams can afford. Live chat, email, WhatsApp, Messenger, and Instagram land in one place, with chatbots, a knowledge base, campaigns, a CRM, and MagicReply AI to speed answers. It is priced per workspace rather than per seat, which is rare and kind.
Ghost is what serious independent publishing looks like. A fast, beautifully themed site, newsletters sent from your own domain, paid memberships with zero platform fees, comments, and a clean editor, all open source and portable. Ghost(Pro) hosting removes the ops, and the whole thing respects the writer and the reader.
Where they are different
Crisp
- Crisp bolts onto any site.
- Crisp chats with anyone who lands.
- Crisp campaigns are support-flavored.
Ghost
- Ghost monetises by membership.
- Ghost sends email and stops.
- Ghost is publishing-first.
Choose Crisp when you need a multichannel support inbox with live chat and bots for a team.
Choose Ghost when writing is the business and you want paid subscriptions with no platform cut, on open-source software.
Compare features
What's on Crisp and Ghost
A check means that capability is available. Crisp and Ghost are marked only when the offer is comparable, not the same product.
Site and brand
- Workspace siteCrisp: Not includedGhost: Included
Audience and email
- AudienceCrisp: IncludedGhost: Included
- Email on your domainCrisp: IncludedGhost: Included
- Marketing emailsCrisp: IncludedGhost: Included
- Campaign workflowsCrisp: IncludedGhost: Not included
Messaging
- Built-in chatCrisp: IncludedGhost: Not included
- Messaging CenterCrisp: IncludedGhost: Not included
Team
- Admin usersCrisp: IncludedGhost: Included
- Per-admin permissionsCrisp: IncludedGhost: Included
* Note: This table does not capture every feature of Crisp or Ghost, and is not intended as a comprehensive list. We keep this page current, but Crisp or Ghost may add or remove features that are not shown here.
Crisp vs Ghost pricing
Compare plans, prices, and what it costs to get started.
Crisp
Current plans and prices
See what Crisp charges on their pricing page.
Ghost
Current plans and prices
See what Ghost charges on their pricing page.
Cardel: An alternative to
Crisp and Ghost
You don't pay until you publish.
Cardel provides a home for your craft. Share and sell your work, grow your audience, and bring your community together on a site of your own.
Common questions
Is Cardel an alternative to Crisp or Ghost?
Cardel is a home for your craft: a site of your own with a blog, newsletter, shop, community, and one inbox. It can replace Crisp or Ghost when you want your work, audience, and sales in one place. The feature list on this page shows where Crisp and Ghost are marked.
Can I use Cardel with Crisp or Ghost?
Yes. Cardel pages can link out to other products, so you can keep Crisp or Ghost for what it does best and bring the rest of your work to Cardel.
How much does Cardel cost compared with Crisp and Ghost?
You don't pay for Cardel until you publish. Choose Starter, Pro, or Studio when your site goes live. Crisp and Ghost set their own prices, so check their pricing pages on this page for current plans.
How do I switch from Crisp or Ghost to Cardel?
Start with Build Your Site, set up your home, and bring your work over at your own pace. You do not have to move everything on day one.