Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Ghost VS Payhip

Compare Ghost VS Payhip and see what are their differences

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.

Ghost logo 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.

Payhip logo Payhip

Sell digital downloads, courses, coaching, and more from one simple platform.
  • Ghost Landing page
    Landing page //
    2022-10-10
  • Payhip Landing page
    Landing page //
    2022-08-05

We make it easy for you to sell anything online anywhere.

Digital downloads: Sell any type of digital download such as ebooks, software, design assets, templates, video, music and more. If you can save it, you can sell it.

Online courses: Create online courses with rich features such as videos, digital files, quizzes and assignments. Publish drip courses and provide completion certificates.

Coaching: Sell your expertise through 1:1 coaching sessions. Easily set up online meetings with clients using integrations with Zoom, Calendly and more.

Memberships: Allow your customers to pay you on a recurring basis to access your digital downloads or membership group. Manage your members easily.

Physical products: Sell and manage inventory for any physical products. Manage your store, fulfill orders, run promotions and more.

Ghost

Website
ghost.org
$ Details
paid Free Trial $36.0 / Monthly (100k views/month, 2 users)
Platforms
-
Startup details
Country
United Kingdom

Payhip

Website
payhip.com
$ Details
freemium
Platforms
Shopify Wix Squarespace BigCommerce WooCommerce Wordpress Ecwid
Startup details
Country
United Kingdom

Ghost features and specs

  • 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 of Ghost

  • 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.

Payhip features and specs

  • Sell Digital Downloads
    Sell any type of digital download such as ebooks, software, design assets, templates, video, music and more. If you can save it, you can sell it.
  • Sell Online Courses
    Create online courses with rich features such as videos, digital files, quizzes and assignments. Publish drip courses and provide completion certificates.
  • Sell Coaching Services
    Sell your expertise through 1:1 coaching sessions. Easily set up online meetings with clients using integrations with Zoom, Calendly and more.
  • Sell Memberships
    Allow your customers to pay you on a recurring basis to access your digital downloads or membership group. Manage your members easily.
  • Sell Physical Products
    Sell and manage inventory for any physical products. Manage your store, fulfill orders, run promotions and more.
  • Store Builder
    Create a stunning website that captures the hearts and attention of your customers with our easy-to-use store builder.
  • Embeds
    Embed Payhip's products any eCommerce sites such as Shopify, Wix, and more.
  • Auto-handling of UK & EU VAT
    We are fully compliant and can report & pay digital EU & UK VAT on your behalf.
  • Powerful Marketing Tools
    Drive sales and conversions with our powerful built-in marketing tools such as affiliate marketing, coupon codes, referrals, and more.

Analysis of Ghost

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

Analysis of Payhip

Overall verdict

  • Payhip is a viable choice for small to medium-sized businesses and individual creators looking to sell digital products online. It is praised for its simplicity, affordability, and flexibility, making it a strong option in the e-commerce space.

Why this product is good

  • Payhip is generally considered a good platform for digital product sales due to its user-friendly interface, ease of use, and affordable pricing. It offers features like a simple setup process, integration with third-party tools, and comprehensive customer management. Additionally, it provides tools for marketing, such as discount codes and affiliate options, which can enhance sales potential.

Recommended for

    Payhip is recommended for authors, digital content creators, artists, and small businesses who want to sell e-books, software, memberships, courses, or other digital products without the hassle of building a custom e-commerce platform.

Ghost videos

Why I Moved My Blog From WordPress to Ghost

More videos:

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

Payhip videos

Payhip.com Review | How To Sell Your eBook Online

More videos:

  • Tutorial - How to Sell an eBook Online ABSOLUTELY FREE using Canva + Payhip
  • Review - How Payhip Works - Sell ebooks direct
  • Review - GUMROAD VS PAYHIP Review - Which is Better? Pricing, Comparison & Features
  • Review - Payhip Review - A Good Platform for Selling Digital Products?
  • Review - PayHip Review - Is This Legit & Can You Use This Platform To Make Money Online? (Watch First!)

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Ghost and Payhip)
Blogging
100 100%
0% 0
eCommerce
0 0%
100% 100
CMS
100 100%
0% 0
eCommerce Platform
0 0%
100% 100

User comments

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

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare Ghost and Payhip

Ghost Reviews

Comparing 9 WordPress alternatives & competitors in 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 platformโ€™s singular focus on blogging makes it great for individuals and small teams, but it lacks features like real-time collaboration that are necessary for larger companies.
Source: webflow.com
19 Best WordPress Alternatives in 2025
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.
Source: www.pixpa.com
7 Best Buy Me a Coffee Alternatives
If you donโ€™t already have a website, Ghost may be an appealing option as a Patreon alternative. However, customizations are limited, and youโ€™ll need to choose a pre-built design from the theme library. There are a few themes available, but most are priced from around $80 to $150. The Ghost API also gives you a way to publish content you create on the platform to another...
Source: wpforms.com
Top 10 Web Content Management Systems
Ghost is here as one of the first entries that can be classified as a pure headless CMS. Ghost is not only one of the best headless CMS options, but it also does so while being focused primarily on the blogger community. So if you have or are thinking about starting a large blogging operation featuring many different presentation layers, then Ghost is definitely for you....
Source: cloudzy.com
25+ Medium Alternative Platforms for Publishing Articles
Ghost open-source blogging and the indirect medium alternative platform. Its interface makes blogging easy for users, but also offers SEO tools and other plugins that are built into the platform. This makes it simple for users to publish high-quality content without technical difficulties.
Source: forgefusion.io

Payhip Reviews

  1. Overall a solid eCommerce platform

    Payhip is a solid eCommerce platform having many nice features that can help you jumpstart your online store. Not to forget that it has a perpetual free tier. Also, the free plan is not limited by features!

    But, if you want a branded eCommerce store โ€“ Payhip will disappoint you. It does not support custom domains for your shop.

    ๐Ÿ Competitors: Gumroad
    ๐Ÿ‘ Pros:    Free basic plan|Instant payment processing|Sell anything
    ๐Ÿ‘Ž Cons:    Do not support custom domain|Cannot use custom themes|Costly pro plan

8 Best Patreon Alternatives for Creators (2023)
Payhip is a platform that allows you to sell digital downloads, courses, and memberships. Itโ€™s an easy and simple way to manage your sales and keep track of your customers. You can create a payhip account for free, and you can access all of the features and list unlimited products.
Source: talkbitz.com
Top 14 Gumroad Alternatives To Sell Digital Downloads!
Payhip is a platform that allows you to sell a variety of products and services online, including digital downloads, courses, coaching, and more. It is designed to be easy to use, with a responsive and user-friendly checkout process that is optimized to increase conversion rates.
Source: checkya.com
SendOwl Alternatives
At the same time, Payhip does not differentiate between its free users and paid users when it comes to features. So, even if you are a free-plan user of Payhip, you will have access to every Payhip feature.
8 Gumroad Alternatives For Your Online Shop
Like Gumroad, Payhip also has a perpetual free tier. In short, Payhip lets you build a hosted storefront and start selling for free. You can sell digital products, physical goods, and subscriptions using Payhip. Moreover, both Payhip and Gumroad have almost similar tools to upsell and market your products. Read our review of Payhip for a detailed overview.
Payhip vs Gumroad
We did a detailed review of Payhip in this article. We have also reviewed Gumroad here. What we found is that both Payhip and Gumroad are solid hosted eCommerce platforms. Both are equally suitable for a certain type of online store. At the same time, we also saw that both Gumroad and Payhip has its limitations.

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Ghost seems to be more popular. It has been mentiond 196 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

Ghost mentions (196)

  • 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 Ghost themselves a non-profit org that doesn't mark up the Stripe transaction fees! One local news outlet recently switched to that, saving about %5 on Patreon fees and a second is... - Source: Hacker News / 6 months ago
  • Bye Bye Big Tech: How I Migrated to an Almost All-EU Stack (and Saved 500โ‚ฌ/Year)
    Https://ghost.org โ€” Open-source run by a non-profit headquartered in Singapore. - Source: Hacker News / 6 months ago
  • Ask HN: Looking for Headless CMS Recommendation
    If you're hell-bent on headless, I can personally recommend 11ty (https://www.11ty.dev/) and hugo (https://gohugo.io/). That said, for non-technical admins, you probably want a user interface. For that, Ghost (https://ghost.org/) and Grav (https://getgrav.org/). Or Wordpress! - Source: Hacker News / 10 months ago
  • Typepad Is Shutting Down
    They should provide an option to move to https://ghost.org/. - Source: Hacker News / 10 months ago
  • Build an analytics agent to analyze your Ghost blog traffic with the Vercel AI SDK and Tinybird
    In this post, I'll show you how to build an agent with sufficient contextual understanding of underlying analytics data - and the tools to query it - so that you can have a chat with your data (any data!). Specifically, I'll build a simple analytics agent for a blog - hosted on the open-source publishing platform Ghost. The agent will tell us which content is performing the best, and why. - Source: dev.to / 11 months ago
View more

Payhip mentions (0)

We have not tracked any mentions of Payhip yet. Tracking of Payhip recommendations started around Mar 2021.

What are some alternatives?

When comparing Ghost and Payhip, you can also consider the following products

WordPress - WordPress is web software you can use to create a beautiful website or blog. We like to say that WordPress is both free and priceless at the same time.

Gumroad - An all-in-one solution to sell your work and grow your audience.

Medium - Welcome to Medium, a place to read, write, and interact with the stories that matter most to you.

Sellfy - Sellfy is an easy to use but powerful e-commerce platform where you can sell digital, print on demand or subscription products. Use a Sellfy storefront to create a beautiful online store or embed a Sellfy shopping cart to your own website.

Drupal - Drupal - the leading open-source CMS for ambitious digital experiences that reach your audience across multiple channels. Because we all have different needs, Drupal allows you to create a unique space in a world of cookie-cutter solutions.

WooCommerce - A freely available eCommerce plugin that enables shop facilities on your WordPress website. Functionality enabling extensions & beautiful themes available.