Kit (ConvertKit)
Kit
7.5
Overall Score / 10
Ghost
Ghost Foundation
7.3
Overall Score / 10
Our Verdict
Choose Kit (ConvertKit) if:
- —Solo creators and bloggers
- —Podcasters and YouTubers selling digital products
- —Anyone who wants simple, clean email marketing
Choose Ghost if:
- —Professional publishers who want full ownership
- —Developers who want a customizable open-source platform
- —Creators who want memberships without a revenue cut
The biggest difference: Kit excels for creators selling courses and digital products alongside email with built-in commerce. Ghost is an open-source publishing platform with custom themes, full data ownership, and membership billing at 0% platform fee.
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Criteria | Kit (ConvertKit) | Ghost |
|---|---|---|
| Cheapest Paid Plan | $39/mo (Creator)Source: Kit pricing page → | $18/mo (Starter)Source: Ghost Foundation pricing page → |
| Free Tier | Yes 10,000 subscribers, unlimited emails, no advanced automations, no integrations | No No free tier. Ghost(Pro) starts at $15/mo billed annually. Self-hosted Ghost is free and open source. |
| Value for Money | 7 | 8 |
| Ease of Use | 9 | 6 |
| Feature Power | 6 | 7 |
| Setup Ease | 9 | 5 |
| Migration Ease | 7 | 5 |
| Transparency | 8 | 10 |
| Deployment | cloud | hybrid |
| API Available | Yes | Yes |
| Platforms | Web, iOS | Web |
| Compliance | GDPR tools available | GDPR (self-hosted: full control) |
Feature Comparison
Feature Comparison Matrix
17 features compared · 16 differences
| Feature | Kit (ConvertKit) | Ghost |
|---|---|---|
| Core | ||
| Commerce (digital products) | Full | None |
| Creator profile page | Full | None |
| Landing pages | Full | None |
| Native memberships & subscriptions | None | Full |
| Newsletter delivery | None | Full |
| Newsletter referral program | Full | None |
| Open source | None | Full |
| Powerful editor | None | Full |
| Self-hostable | None | Full |
| SEO built-in | None | Full |
| Sponsor network | Full | None |
| Stripe-native payments | None | Full |
| Subscriber tagging | Full | None |
| Advanced | ||
| Custom themes | None | Full |
| Email sequences | Full | None |
| Visual automation builder | Full | None |
| Integrations | ||
| Integrations via Zapier/webhooks | Full | Full |
Pricing Comparison
Kit (ConvertKit) Pricing
10,000 subscribers, unlimited sends, limited automations
1,000 subscribers, automations, integrations, live chat support
1,000 subscribers, advanced reporting, subscriber scoring, newsletter referrals
Ghost Pricing
1,000 members, 1 staff user, basic features
Unlimited members, 3 staff, paid subscriptions, custom themes, newsletters
Unlimited members, unlimited staff, priority support, advanced integrations
Who Should Choose Which?
Who should choose Kit (ConvertKit)
Best for
- Solo creators and bloggers
- Podcasters and YouTubers selling digital products
- Anyone who wants simple, clean email marketing
Avoid if
- You need advanced e-commerce features
- You want sophisticated A/B testing
- You need enterprise-grade reporting
Who should choose Ghost
Best for
- Professional publishers who want full ownership
- Developers who want a customizable open-source platform
- Creators who want memberships without a revenue cut
Avoid if
- You want the simplest setup possible
- You need marketing automation
- You're not comfortable with some technical setup
Switching Guidance
Switching from Kit (ConvertKit)
Common triggers to leave:
- •Need more advanced reporting
- •Need better e-commerce integration
- •Outgrowing creator-focused feature set
Potential blockers:
- •Visual automation workflows built over time
- •Integrated commerce/products
- •Subscriber tags and segments
Switching from Ghost
Common triggers to leave:
- •Need marketing automation
- •Need simpler setup
- •Need mobile app for readers
Potential blockers:
- •Custom theme investment
- •Self-hosted infrastructure
- •Member/subscriber data
Try Kit (ConvertKit)
Start free — no credit card required
Try Ghost
Plans from $18/mo