How Ghost and Kartra compare
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.
Kartra is the operator's all-in-one. Checkouts with one-time, recurring, or installment pricing, email and SMS campaigns that react to what a lead does, membership portals for courses, calendars with paid bookings, a helpdesk with tickets and a wiki, and split tests on up to four page versions. If you run offers, sequences, and a member area as one machine and want the analytics to match, Kartra was built for exactly that.
Where they are different
Ghost
- Ghost monetises by membership.
- Ghost sends email and stops.
- Ghost is publishing-first.
Kartra
- Kartra pages are campaign pages first.
- Kartra has blog page templates and a WordPress push, not a blog engine.
- Kartra's helpdesk takes tickets from a forwarded support address on Growth and up.
Choose Ghost when writing is the business and you want paid subscriptions with no platform cut, on open-source software.
Choose Kartra when you sell through checkouts and sequences, deliver inside memberships, and want a helpdesk, affiliates, SMS, and split testing wired to the same lead record.
Compare features
What's on Ghost and Kartra
A check means that capability is available. Ghost and Kartra are marked only when the offer is comparable, not the same product.
Site and brand
- Workspace siteGhost: IncludedKartra: Included
- Custom domainGhost: IncludedKartra: Included
- Theme and fontsGhost: IncludedKartra: Included
Public content
- BlogGhost: IncludedKartra: Not included
- Reader engagementGhost: IncludedKartra: Not included
- Showcase pagesGhost: IncludedKartra: Included
- Shop pagesGhost: Not includedKartra: Included
Reach and quality
- SEOGhost: IncludedKartra: Included
Audience and email
- AudienceGhost: IncludedKartra: Included
- Email on your domainGhost: IncludedKartra: Included
- Marketing emailsGhost: IncludedKartra: Included
- Campaign workflowsGhost: Not includedKartra: Included
Messaging
- Built-in chatGhost: Not includedKartra: Included
- Messaging CenterGhost: Not includedKartra: Included
Commerce
- Shop paymentsGhost: Not includedKartra: Included
- Orders and fulfillmentGhost: Not includedKartra: Included
- Scheduling and bookingsLink to external scheduling available on Starter.Ghost: Not includedKartra: Included
Team
- Admin usersGhost: IncludedKartra: Included
- Per-admin permissionsGhost: IncludedKartra: Included
- AI AssistantGhost: Not includedKartra: Included
* Note: This table does not capture every feature of Ghost or Kartra, and is not intended as a comprehensive list. We keep this page current, but Ghost or Kartra may add or remove features that are not shown here.
Ghost vs Kartra pricing
Compare plans, prices, and what it costs to get started.
Ghost
Current plans and prices
See what Ghost charges on their pricing page.
Kartra
Current plans and prices
See what Kartra charges on their pricing page.
Cardel: An alternative to
Ghost and Kartra
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 Ghost or Kartra?
Cardel is a home for your craft: a site of your own with a blog, newsletter, shop, community, and one inbox. It can replace Ghost or Kartra when you want your work, audience, and sales in one place. The feature list on this page shows where Ghost and Kartra are marked.
Can I use Cardel with Ghost or Kartra?
Yes. Cardel pages can link out to other products, so you can keep Ghost or Kartra for what it does best and bring the rest of your work to Cardel.
How much does Cardel cost compared with Ghost and Kartra?
You don't pay for Cardel until you publish. Choose Starter, Pro, or Studio when your site goes live. Ghost and Kartra set their own prices, so check their pricing pages on this page for current plans.
How do I switch from Ghost or Kartra 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.