Software Alternatives & Startups

Advanced Custom Fields VS Ghost

Compare Advanced Custom Fields VS Ghost and see what are their differences

Advanced Custom Fields

Custom field and custom content plugin for WordPress

Rating
0 reviews
Pricing
Open source
Ghost

Ghost is a fully open source, adaptable platform for building and running a modern online publication. We power blogs, magazines and journalists from Zappos to Sky News.

Rating
0 reviews
Pricing
Open source Paid Free trial $36 / Monthly (100k views/month, 2 users)
Note: These products don't have any matching categories. If you think this is a mistake, please edit the details of one of the products and suggest appropriate categories.

Which is more popular?

Based on our record, Ghost seems to be more popular. It has been mentioned 197 times since March 2021.

social mentions
0 vs 197
WordPress Plugins popularity
100% vs 0%
alternatives listed
69 vs 240+

Base details

Website, pricing, platforms and company facts side by side.

Advanced Custom Fields
Ghost
Website advancedcustomfields.com ghost.org
Pricing
Open source
Open source Paid Free trial $36 / Monthly (100k views/month, 2 users) Official pricing
Company — Startup from the United Kingdom
Listed in

Features and specs

What each product offers, as listed by its team.

Advanced Custom Fields 5 features
Ghost 5 features
  • Flexible Field Management
    Advanced Custom Fields (ACF) allows users to add a wide variety of custom fields to WordPress edit screens, providing flexibility in managing content based on specific needs.
  • User-Friendly Interface
    ACF offers a clean, intuitive interface that makes it easy for users to create and manage custom fields without needing advanced coding skills.
  • Extensive Field Types
    ACF supports numerous field types including text, textarea, image, file, and more, enabling detailed customization of content and layouts.
  • Integration with WordPress
    Seamlessly integrates with WordPress, making it easy to extend the functionality of a WordPress site without significant alterations to existing systems.
  • Active Development and Community
    Regular updates and a strong community behind ACF ensure that new features are constantly being added and bugs are promptly addressed.

Possible disadvantages

  • Performance Overhead
    Implementing numerous custom fields can potentially lead to performance issues due to increased database queries, especially on larger sites.
  • Learning Curve
    While the interface is user-friendly, users who want to deeply integrate ACF into their custom themes or plugins may face a learning curve.
  • Cost for Pro Features
    Many of the more advanced features, such as repeater fields, are only available in the Pro version, requiring a paid license.
  • Dependence on Updates
    Frequent updates require developers to regularly maintain their setups to ensure compatibility and security, especially on customized installations.
  • Limited to WordPress
    Since ACF is specifically designed for WordPress, its functionality is not transferable to other CMS platforms without significant adaptation.
  • User-Friendly Interface
    Ghost offers a clean and intuitive interface that makes content management straightforward, even for those without technical expertise.
  • Speed and Performance
    Ghost is built on modern technology like Node.js which makes it faster and more efficient compared to some traditional CMS platforms.
  • SEO Optimized
    Ghost comes built-in with SEO features like clean URLs, meta tags, and sitemaps which help in improving search engine rankings.
  • Customizable Themes
    Ghost supports a variety of themes that can be easily customized to fit the branding and functionality needs of a website.
  • Markdown Support
    Content creation in Ghost is made easy with Markdown support, allowing writers to focus on text rather than formatting.

Possible disadvantages

  • Limited Plugin Ecosystem
    Compared to WordPress, Ghost has a more limited selection of plugins, which might restrict some functionalities users are looking for.
  • Higher Hosting Costs
    Ghost's official hosting is relatively expensive, making it less suitable for users on a tight budget.
  • Technical Knowledge Requirement
    While Ghost is user-friendly, setting it up on a custom server can require a higher level of technical knowledge compared to some other platforms.
  • Less Community Support
    The user community for Ghost is smaller compared to more established platforms like WordPress, which can make it harder to find support and resources.
  • Limited Ecommerce Capabilities
    Ghost is primarily a publishing platform and lacks the more advanced eCommerce functionalities that other CMS platforms might offer out of the box.

Analysis

An editorial look at what each product does well and who it suits.

Advanced Custom Fields
Ghost

No analysis of Advanced Custom Fields yet.

Overall verdict

  • Ghost is a highly regarded platform for serious bloggers and publishers who want a minimalistic yet powerful content management system. It is especially beneficial for those who prefer a distraction-free writing environment with the capability to scale and customize as their needs grow.

Why this product is good

  • Ghost is a popular open-source platform designed for professional bloggers and publishers. It is known for its clean design, speed, and ease of use. Ghost offers robust features for content creation, management, and distribution while focusing on providing an optimal writing experience. Additionally, Ghost is built on modern technology stacks and offers flexibility through themes and integrations. It also supports membership and subscription models, making it ideal for those looking to monetize their content.

Recommended for

  • Professional bloggers
  • Content creators looking for a minimalist interface
  • Publishers seeking to monetize their content
  • Developers looking for an open-source platform
  • Organizations that require a fast and reliable CMS
  • Writers who value a focused writing experience

Videos

Walkthroughs and reviews on video.

Advanced Custom Fields 3 videos + Add
Ghost 2 videos + Add

Advanced Custom Fields Allow You To Add Extra Fields To Your Posts, Pages Or Custom Post Types

More videos

  • - Advanced Custom Fields Tutorial: Create a WordPress Movie Review Website
  • - Using Advanced Custom Fields And Custom Post Types Together The Right Way

Why I Moved My Blog From WordPress to Ghost

More videos

  • - Ghost review - CMS for creators to build a membership

Category popularity

How often each product is chosen within a category, 0–100% relative to the other.

Score bands 0–20 21–40 41–50 51–60 61–100
Advanced Custom Fields
Ghost
100% 100%
0% 0%
0% 0%
100% 100%
100% 100%
0% 0%
0% 0%
CMS
100% 100%

User comments

Share your experience with using Advanced Custom Fields and Ghost. For example, how are they different and which one is better?

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Reviews and articles

External articles and on-site reviews we used to compare the two products.

Advanced Custom Fields no reviews yet
Ghost no reviews yet

We have no reviews of Advanced Custom Fields yet. Be the first one to post

  • Comparing 9 WordPress alternatives & competitors in 2024
    webflow.com · Dec 2024

    Ghost specializes in creating a monetized blogging platform. Based on their subscription status, readers can create user profiles, sign up for newsletters, and browse your entire blogging calendar. The platform’s...

  • 19 Best WordPress Alternatives in 2025
    www.pixpa.com · Oct 2024

    Ghost is known for its simplicity and focus on content creation. It's a great option for writers and creators who want a clean and distraction-free environment to publish their work.

  • 7 Best Buy Me a Coffee Alternatives
    wpforms.com · Mar 2024

    If you don’t already have a website, Ghost may be an appealing option as a Patreon alternative. However, customizations are limited, and you’ll need to choose a pre-built design from the theme library. There are a few...

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Social recommendations and mentions

Recommendations tracked on public social media and blogs since March 2021.

Advanced Custom Fields 0 mentions
Ghost 197 mentions

Tracking Advanced Custom Fields since Mar 2021.

  • At 19, founder raises $11M for Ghost, maker of a $3,499 computer for personal AI
    I'm curious...isn't the name `ghost` an infringement between ghost, the app / CMS alternative to WordPress? https://ghost.org/. - Source: Hacker News / 14 days ago
  • Local Journalism Is How Democracy Shows Up Close to Home
    Digital production has lowered the cost, and the Ghost platform in particular is a great value for small publishers, bundling together the blog, newsletter and subscriptions in one package, even now including ActivityPub federation. And... - Source: Hacker News / 9 months ago
  • Bye Bye Big Tech: How I Migrated to an Almost All-EU Stack (and Saved 500€/Year)
    Https://ghost.org — Open-source run by a non-profit headquartered in Singapore. - Source: Hacker News / 10 months ago

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Alternatives to Advanced Custom Fields and Ghost

When comparing Advanced Custom Fields and Ghost, you can also consider the following products.