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A Ghost alternative built on WordPress.

Ghost is a great tool for solo writers and newsletters. PaywallProject is for news publishers who want WordPress, local news tools, and a team that runs the site for them.

Feature
Starting price with a paywall
$299/moCommunity plan
$29/moUp to 1,000 members, billed yearly
What your price is based on
The plan you pick
Number of members
Revenue share on subscriptions
None
None
Built on WordPress
Yes
NoGhost’s own system
Who runs the website day to day
We doHosting, updates, security, paywall
You doGhost hosts it; you set it up
Public notices, obituaries, and e‑edition
IncludedNoticePress, ObitPress, FlipPress
Not listed
Support from real people
YesEmail; Slack from $599/mo
EmailPriority support at $199/mo

Choose Ghost if

  • You are a solo writer or small newsletter and want the lowest monthly price.
  • You are comfortable setting up and running the site yourself.
  • You don’t need WordPress plugins or local news tools like public notices.

Choose PaywallProject if

  • You want your site on WordPress, the system most newsrooms already know.
  • You want a team to handle hosting, updates, security, and the paywall for you.
  • You want public notices, obituaries, or an e-edition built in.

Questions publishers ask

Is Ghost built on WordPress?

No. Ghost is its own publishing system. PaywallProject runs on WordPress, so you can use the plugins, themes, and workflows your team may already know.

Why does PaywallProject cost more than Ghost?

Ghost’s price covers the software and hosting, and you set up and run the site yourself. PaywallProject includes a team that builds, runs, and maintains your site, plus local news tools like public notices, obituaries, and an e-edition.

How does Ghost pricing change as I grow?

Ghost prices by member count. The Publisher plan is $29 a month for up to 1,000 members, and the Business plan is $199 a month for up to 10,000. PaywallProject pricing depends on the plan you choose, not your audience size.

Can I move from Ghost to PaywallProject?

Yes. Ghost lets you export your content and members, and our team handles bringing them into your new WordPress site.

Get started Talk to a real person

Prices are taken from Ghost’s public pricing page and may change. Payment processing fees (such as Stripe’s) apply on both platforms. “Not listed” means the feature isn’t shown on that company’s pricing page.Last updated October 2026Compare all platforms