WooCommerce

The open-source e-commerce plugin for WordPress

Ghost vs WooCommerce: Full Comparison (2026)

Pricing, features, scores, and a clear verdict on which one is right for you.

The bottom line

Ghost positions itself as "turn your audience into a business" while WooCommerce goes after "the open-source e-commerce plugin for wordpress" — so the right pick depends on which problem you're actually solving. Both tools compete in the website builders category. Check the feature comparison below to see which capabilities matter most for your specific use case.

At a glance

	Ghost	WooCommerce
Our score	78/100	78/100
Starting price	$15/mo	Free
Free tier	Yes	Yes
Best for	Turn your audience into a business	The open-source e-commerce plugin for WordPress

Pricing comparison

Ghost

Free tier available

Self-hostedFree

Starter$18/mo

Publisher$35/mo

Business$239/mo

Pricing verified 2026-04-14

WooCommerce

Free tier available

Self-hosted (free)Free

Essentials$null/mo

Performance$null/mo

Pricing verified 2026-04-16

Calculate your cost

Ghost plan

WooCommerce plan

GhostSelf-hosted

Free/mo

Free/yr

WooCommerceSelf-hosted (free)

Free/mo

Free/yr

Try Ghost free →Try WooCommerce free →

Feature comparison

core

Feature	Ghost	WooCommerce
Drag-and-drop editor	No	No
Templates	Yes	No
Mobile responsive	Yes	No
Custom domains	Yes	No
Product management	No	Yes
Inventory management	No	Yes
Payment gateway integration	No	Yes
Shipping management	No	Yes
Tax calculation	No	Yes
Order management	No	Yes

ecommerce

Feature	Ghost	WooCommerce
Online store	No	No
Payments	Memberships	No
Inventory management	No	No

advanced

Feature	Ghost	WooCommerce
SEO tools	Yes	No
Analytics	Yes	No
Memberships	Yes	No
CMS	Yes	No
Newsletter	Yes	No
API	Yes	No
Social Web (ActivityPub)	Yes	No
Short-form Notes	Yes	No

integrations

Feature	Ghost	WooCommerce
Google Analytics	Yes	Yes
Mailchimp	No	Yes
Zapier	Yes	Yes
Stripe	Yes	Yes
Mastodon/Fediverse	Yes	No
PayPal	No	Yes
HubSpot	No	Yes
Amazon FBA	No	Plugin

customization

Feature	Ghost	WooCommerce
WordPress themes	No	Thousands
Extensions/plugins	No	800+
Custom code access	No	Yes
REST API	No	Yes
Headless commerce	No	Yes

seo

Feature	Ghost	WooCommerce
WordPress SEO ecosystem	No	Yes
Yoast SEO compatible	No	Yes
Custom URLs	No	Yes
Schema markup	No	Plugin

Ratings breakdown

Ghost

Ease of use

7/10

Value for money

8/10

Features

8/10

Support

7/10

WooCommerce

Ease of use

5/10

Value for money

9/10

Features

8/10

Support

5/10

What the data tells us

Key capabilities you'd miss

Choosing Ghost means going without Product management, Inventory management, Payment gateway integration (which WooCommerce offers). Choosing WooCommerce means losing Templates, Mobile responsive, Custom domains. These are the features that typically drive the final decision — check whether your workflow depends on any of them before committing.

Switching cost consideration

WooCommerce has a broader integration ecosystem, which is great for workflow automation but also creates higher switching costs down the road. Ghost's simpler integration footprint means less vendor lock-in — easier to switch if your needs change, but fewer automation possibilities out of the box.

What company size tells you

Ghost (11-50 employees) has the engineering bench to ship features across many fronts but may iterate slower on individual requests. WooCommerce (1,800+ employees) typically ships faster on its core product but may lag on peripheral features. Consider which matters more for your roadmap.

Choose Ghost if...

You want a free tier to get started
You value powerful features over simplicity
Getting strong value for money is a priority

Try Ghost free →

Choose WooCommerce if...

You want a free tier to get started
You value powerful features over simplicity
Getting strong value for money is a priority

Try WooCommerce free →

Frequently asked questions

Is Ghost or WooCommerce better?

Ghost scores 78/100 compared to WooCommerce's 78/100 on VendorVS. However, the best choice depends on your needs — Ghost excels at ease of use (7/10) while WooCommerce scores 5/10.

How much does Ghost cost compared to WooCommerce?

Ghost starts at $15/mo (free tier available). WooCommerce starts at free (free tier available). WooCommerce is the more affordable option.

Does Ghost or WooCommerce have a free plan?

Yes, both Ghost and WooCommerce offer free tiers, so you can try each before committing to a paid plan.

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