Ghost
Squarespace
Ghost
Squarespace
Ghost
Squarespace
Ghost
Squarespace
Ghost
Squarespace
Ghost
Squarespace
No signals
Ghost
No signals
Squarespace
Ghost
No signals
Squarespace
Ghost
No signals
Squarespace
Users: Unlimited
Storage: Depends on host
Limits: Requires technical skills, server management, and ongoing maintenance. Mailgun setup required for newsletters.
Users: 1 staff
Storage: Limited
Limits: 1,000 members max, 1 staff only, Monday-Friday email support, 90-day analytics only
Users: 3 staff
Storage: Standard
Limits: 1,000 members included, Mailgun-only emails, Limited theme marketplace
Users: 15 staff
Storage: Large
Limits: 1,000 members base, Expensive for small publishers, Significant price jump from Publisher
Users: Custom
Storage: Custom
Limits: Pricing not transparent, Minimum subscriber requirements, Annual commitments
Users: 2 contributors
Storage: Unlimited
Limits: No ecommerce, No advanced analytics, Limited integrations, 2 contributors maximum
Users: Unlimited contributors
Storage: Unlimited
Limits: Higher transaction fees, No abandoned cart, Limited promotional tools, No advanced scheduling
Users: Unlimited contributors
Storage: Unlimited
Limits: 1% digital product fee, Email marketing not included, Some scheduling features extra
Users: Unlimited contributors
Storage: Unlimited
Limits: Still requires payment processor fees, Customization still limited by platform
| Feature | Ghost | Squarespace |
|---|---|---|
| Publishing | ||
| Built-in newsletters Native email newsletters with Stripe integration | ||
| Markdown editor Clean, distraction-free writing experience | ||
| Design | ||
| Beautiful templates Industry-leading professional designs | ||
| Drag-and-drop editor Intuitive but limited compared to Wix | ||
| Mobile responsive All templates automatically responsive | ||
| Template switching Not available in version 7.1 | ||
| Monetization | ||
| Membership/subscriptions Paid subscriptions with tiered access | ||
| Performance | ||
| Fast page loads Significantly faster than WordPress | ||
| SEO | ||
| Native SEO Built-in SEO without plugins needed | ||
| Hosting | ||
| Custom domain Free for first year on annual plans | ||
| Development | ||
| Headless CMS API Powerful Content API for custom frontends | ||
| Security | ||
| SSL certificate Included on all plans | ||
| Pricing | ||
| Self-hosting option Open-source, can self-host for free (with complexity) | ||
| Free plan 14-day trial only, no free tier | ||
| Selling | ||
| Ecommerce Core plan and above, with transaction fees | ||
| Multi-currency Not natively supported | ||
| E-commerce Memberships only, no product sales | ||
| Features | ||
| Appointment scheduling Squarespace Scheduling built-in | ||
| Maintenance | ||
| No plugin management Most features built-in, no plugin conflicts | ||
| Content | ||
| Blog Included, but SEO limitations | ||
| Media library management No proper media organization or reuse | ||
| Integrations | ||
| Multiple email providers Mailgun only - no SendGrid, SES, etc. | ||
| Customization | ||
| Visual theme customization Code required for customization beyond basics | ||
| Large theme marketplace Only 92 themes total, 15 free | ||
| Support | ||
| Phone support Only chat and email available | ||
| Weekend support Starter tier has Monday-Friday only | ||
| Usability | ||
| Autosave No autosave or version history | ||
| Marketing | ||
| Advanced SEO tools Limited - can't edit robots.txt | ||
| Analytics Built-in, advanced on higher plans | ||
| Email marketing Available as add-on | ||
| Core | ||
| Full website builder Publishing-focused only, not full CMS | ||
| Localization | ||
| Multi-language support English-focused, portal/emails hard to translate | ||
