Memberful vs. GhostWhat’s the best way for publishers to build a business from their content?
Should publishers use Memberful or Ghost for their subscription-based content?
What you need to know about Memberful and Ghost
Memberful and Ghost are both great platforms for an easy-to-use way to publish written content and newsletters for subscribers. Here’s what you need to know about each tool.
What is Memberful?
Memberful is a dedicated membership platform that helps publishers build a sustainable income from their audience. You can build a website in Memberful or use the WordPress plugin for your existing site to create an exclusive hub for your subscriber content.
Publish gated content, newsletters, private podcasts, or build communities — your memberships are fully customizable and totally yours to shape. Memberful gives you the space to build the publication that feels right for you now, and grows with you in the future.
What is Ghost?
Ghost is a platform built for anyone who wants to build a business from their written content. It’s a simple, flexible tool for creating and publishing gated content and subscriber newsletters.
Instead of using a CMS like WordPress, you build gated content and newsletters directly from Ghost, on the same platform that you manage your memberships.
Memberful & Ghost Features
| Feature | Memberful | Ghost |
|---|---|---|
Website Ownership | Build a fully-owned membership site, with white-label branding | Build a fully-owned membership site, with white-label branding |
Site Customization | Custom colors, layouts, and themes available for all creators Add unlimited pages to the membership site Option to use a custom domain | Customize colors and layouts Themes & more customizations available for Publisher, Business, and Custom plans Option to use a custom domain |
Price | Starter plan: $15 USD/month (1K members) Publisher plan: $29 USD/month (1K members) Business plan: $199 USD/month (10K members) Custom plans availablePrice increases alongside the number of subscribers | |
Membership Structure | Membership options include: • Monthly or annual subscriptions • One-time payments • Free trials, discounts, and coupons (including complimentary memberships) • Create a free membership tier | Membership options include: • Monthly or annual subscriptions • Tips & donations • Free trials and exclusive offers • Free membership tier • Complimentary access |
Paywall Content | Paywall content by membership tier | Paywall content by membership tier |
Email Marketing | Host your paid newsletter in Memberful Integrate with top email marketing tools like MailChimp, Kit, and Campaign Monitor | Host a paid newsletter in Ghost |
Private Podcasts | Create paid audio and video podcasts with an unlisted RSS feed that your members can add to their preferred podcast apps Add podcast pages & content blocks to your membership site | Add audio or video to posts; publish private RSS feeds using Captivate and Transistor plugins |
Communities | Manage members-only communities Create a member community using Memberful’s Discord integration | No community features available |
Integrations | 18 integrations included, including WordPress plugin, MailChimp, and Discord | 50+ integrations included; additional costs may apply for third-party add-ons |
Ease of Use | Easy setup for all features, with human support and documentation available | Easy and intuitive setup for publishing |
Support | Human support Monday to Friday for all creators Migration support included | Email support available; priority support for higher-priced plans |
Payments | Powered by Stripe (2.9% + $0.30 fee per transaction) | Powered by Stripe (2.9% + $0.30 fee per transaction) |
Why Publishers switch from Ghost to Memberful
Creators and publishers who want to expand their memberships beyond gated content and newsletters can add new member features – like paid podcasts and Discord communities – with Memberful.
More diverse features
Creators and publishers who want to expand their memberships beyond gated content and newsletters can add new member features – like paid podcasts and Discord communities – with Memberful.
Scalability
Ghost’s monthly prices increase as your subscriber list grows. Memberful provides consistent pricing for creators who are growing and scaling their memberships.
WordPress compatibility
Publishers who need more design flexibility for their website might prefer a CMS like WordPress. Memberful's WordPress plugin gives publishers the freedom to build the site they want with Memberful's membership and subscription tools.
Improved support
Some reviews mention that Ghost’s customer support has not given them the help that they need. Creators speak highly of Memberful’s consistent and reliable human support team.
“From day one, you've been exceptional in working with us and enabling us to scale the subscription side of our business.
Rachel at
Punchbowl News
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How to migrate from Ghost to Memberful
You can schedule your migration 3 to 5 days ahead of time. Moving your subscribers and payments to Memberful and updating your settings typically takes 1 to 2 hours.
Schedule your migration
You can schedule your migration 3 to 5 days ahead of time. Moving your subscribers and payments to Memberful and updating your settings typically takes 1 to 2 hours.
Transfer Stripe data
Since Ghost and Memberful both use Stripe for payments, you’ll migrate your payments and subscribers from your Stripe account.
Connect with your subscribers
Let your subscribers know before you switch platforms, and tell them when the migration is complete, so they can access exclusive content without interruptions.
We'll help you migrate
Migration support is included for everyone who uses Memberful, at no extra cost. Our team is happy to answer any questions you have as you’re getting started with Memberful (and beyond).