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Ghost

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Contentful

Ghost vs Contentful

Ghost vs Contentful: which is right for your project? Ghost is modern publishing platform built for professional content creators. Contentful is api-first headless cms for omnichannel content. We compare features, performance, and pricing.

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TL;DR — Our Recommendation

Contentful wins overall, but Ghost is better for professional writers, journalists, and newsletter creators who want to monetize content. Choose Ghost for Professional writers, journalists, and newsletter creators who want to monetize content. Choose Contentful for Enterprises needing to deliver content across web, mobile, and IoT channels.

Official docs: Ghost Documentation · Contentful Documentation

Feature by Feature Comparison

Feature	Ghost	Contentful
Ease of Use	⭐⭐⭐⭐	⭐⭐⭐
Performance	⭐⭐⭐⭐	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Flexibility	⭐⭐⭐	⭐⭐⭐⭐
Cost Value	⭐⭐⭐	⭐
Scalability	⭐⭐⭐	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Ecosystem	⭐⭐	⭐⭐⭐⭐

Pros & Cons

Ghost

Pros

Beautiful, focused writing experience (Markdown + rich editor)
Built-in membership and subscription payment system
Newsletter/email delivery built right into the platform
Fast Node.js architecture — much faster than WordPress

Cons

Limited to blogs and newsletters — not a general CMS
Small theme ecosystem compared to WordPress
Self-hosting requires Node.js server expertise
Managed hosting (Ghost Pro) is relatively expensive

Contentful

Pros

Powerful content modeling with structured content types
Global CDN-backed API delivers content at edge speed
Rich ecosystem of integrations (Algolia, Netlify, Vercel)
Excellent SDKs for every major language and framework

Cons

Expensive — free tier is very limited, paid starts at $300/month
Editing experience is functional but not beautiful
No built-in preview or visual editing (requires custom setup)
Vendor lock-in with proprietary content storage

Platform Details

Detail	Ghost	Contentful
Language / Stack	Node.js	API-based (any frontend)
Type	blogging	headless cms
Pricing	Free (self-hosted) / $9-199/month (managed)	Free / $300+/month
Open Source	Yes	No
Best For	Professional writers, journalists, and newsletter creators who want to monetize content	Enterprises needing to deliver content across web, mobile, and IoT channels
Export Method	Built-in JSON export or Content API	Content Management API or CLI export

When to Choose Each Platform

Choose Ghost if…

You need professional writers, journalists, and newsletter creators who want to monetize content
Your team is comfortable with Node.js
You want an open-source solution with full code ownership
You want a low learning curve for non-technical team members

Choose Contentful if…

You need enterprises needing to deliver content across web, mobile, and iot channels
Your team is comfortable with API-based (any frontend)

Which Should You Pick?

The right choice between Ghost and Contentful depends on three things: your team's technical skills, your project timeline, and your long-term content strategy.

These platforms take fundamentally different approaches. Ghost is a blogging built with Node.js, while Contentful is a headless cms built with API-based (any frontend). That architectural difference shapes everything from daily content editing workflows to deployment and hosting costs. Both platforms require some technical comfort — consider which tech stack aligns better with your team's existing skills.

From a cost perspective, Ghost is open-source (Free (self-hosted) / $9-199/month (managed)), while Contentful (Free / $300+/month) carries ongoing license costs. Factor in plugin or extension costs, developer rates for each tech stack, and whether you need managed hosting or can self-host.

Whichever you choose, migrating between them is straightforward. LeaveWP supports migration between 60+ platforms, so you're never locked in regardless of which you pick today.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Ghost better than Contentful?

Contentful scores higher overall (22/30 vs 19/30) thanks to better performance. However, Ghost remains the better choice for Professional writers, journalists, and newsletter creators who want to monetize content.

Can I migrate from Ghost to Contentful?

Yes. Export your Ghost content via Built-in JSON export or Content API, then import it into Contentful. LeaveWP can help automate this process while preserving your SEO metadata and URL structure.

What are the main differences between Ghost and Contentful?

Ghost is modern publishing platform built for professional content creators, while Contentful is api-first headless cms for omnichannel content. Key differences: ease of use (Ghost: 4/5, Contentful: 3/5), pricing (Free (self-hosted) / $9-199/month (managed) vs Free / $300+/month), and ecosystem size (Ghost: 2/5, Contentful: 4/5).

How much does Ghost cost compared to Contentful?

Ghost: Free (self-hosted) / $9-199/month (managed). Contentful: Free / $300+/month. Ghost is open-source and free to self-host, while Contentful is a paid platform.

Which is easier to learn, Ghost or Contentful?

Ghost is easier to pick up (4/5 vs 3/5). Beautiful, focused writing experience (Markdown + rich editor). Contentful has a steeper learning curve, especially for teams new to API-based (any frontend).

Which performs better, Ghost or Contentful?

Contentful has the performance edge (5/5 vs 4/5). Contentful has Global CDN-backed API delivers content at edge speed. Ghost may require additional optimization for high-traffic sites.

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