How Ghost and Skool 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.
Skool does one thing with unusual discipline: a paid community with a feed, a classroom, a calendar, and gamification that keeps members coming back. The pricing is plain, the app is quick, and Discovery can send you members you did not have to find yourself. If your work is a group people join and show up to every week, Skool is shaped for that.
Where they are different
Choose Ghost when writing is the business and you want paid subscriptions with no platform cut, on open-source software.
Choose Skool when the membership is the product, and a feed, courses, and leaderboards are how you deliver it.
Compare features
What's on Ghost and Skool
A check means that capability is available. Ghost and Skool are marked only when the offer is comparable, not the same product.
Site and brand
- Workspace siteGhost: IncludedSkool: Not included
- Custom domainGhost: IncludedSkool: Not included
- Theme and fontsGhost: IncludedSkool: Not included
Public content
- BlogGhost: IncludedSkool: Not included
- Reader engagementGhost: IncludedSkool: Included
Reach and quality
- SEOGhost: IncludedSkool: Not included
Audience and email
- AudienceGhost: IncludedSkool: Not included
- Email on your domainGhost: IncludedSkool: Not included
- Marketing emailsGhost: IncludedSkool: Included
Messaging
- Built-in chatGhost: Not includedSkool: Included
Team
- Admin usersGhost: IncludedSkool: Included
- Per-admin permissionsGhost: IncludedSkool: Included
* Note: This table does not capture every feature of Ghost or Skool, and is not intended as a comprehensive list. We keep this page current, but Ghost or Skool may add or remove features that are not shown here.
Ghost vs Skool pricing
Compare plans, prices, and what it costs to get started.
Ghost
Current plans and prices
See what Ghost charges on their pricing page.
Skool
Current plans and prices
See what Skool charges on their pricing page.
Cardel: An alternative to
Ghost and Skool
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 Skool?
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 Skool when you want your work, audience, and sales in one place. The feature list on this page shows where Ghost and Skool are marked.
Can I use Cardel with Ghost or Skool?
Yes. Cardel pages can link out to other products, so you can keep Ghost or Skool for what it does best and bring the rest of your work to Cardel.
How much does Cardel cost compared with Ghost and Skool?
You don't pay for Cardel until you publish. Choose Starter, Pro, or Studio when your site goes live. Ghost and Skool set their own prices, so check their pricing pages on this page for current plans.
How do I switch from Ghost or Skool 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.