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Ghost vs JoyBird

Since launching as an open source blogging platform in 2013, Ghost has forked into two implementations.

The original open source software is still available for users who want to install themselves. But there is now also a hosted, paid product with monthly subscription plans.

Ghost's paid product is focussed on creators and professional publishers looking to grow their followers.

If you are looking for a more general website builder suitable for a personal portfolio, showcasing your products, or explaining your business's services - consider JoyBird.

Ghost

Launch your creative business.

JoyBird

The modern, user-friendly website builder, with hosting included.

Plans

Starter
$9 / month
500 subscribed users only. Can use custom domain. No custom themes.
Creator
$25 / month
1,000 subscribed users. Can use custom domain and themes.
Team
$50 / month
1,000 subscribed users. Can use custom domain and themes. Up to 5 staff users.
Business
$199 / month
10,000 subscribed users. Can use custom domain and themes. Unlimited staff users.
See all plans →
Trial
Free
Can use custom domain. With "Powered by JoyBird" branding.
Pro
$9 / month
Can use custom domain. Unlimited pages, users, and traffic.
See all plans →

Estimated Costs

  • (Optional) $100 for a paid design template.
  • Basic integrations available on the Starter plan ($108 / year). Custom integrations available starting from the Creator plan ($300 / year).
  • No free plan.
  • 14 day free trial.
  • (Optional) We design custom themes for $500.
  • $0 for plugins, all functionality is included by default.
  • Free plan available, $99 a year for Pro plan hosting.

Installation

  • Extremely easy to get started on the paid plans, no installation required.
  • Requires programming skills to install the open source / free software.
  • Extremely easy to get started, no installation required.

Design Themes

  • 20 free templates. ~100 paid templates costing $49 - $149 each.

Managing Your Website

  • Admin dashboard to create, edit, and delete all website pages.
  • Admin dashboard to create, edit, and delete all website pages.

Website Performance

  • Plans are not limited by monthly bandwidth.
  • Plans are limited by number of free and paid subscribed users. Example - if you have more than 1,000 subscribers, the only option is the Business plan ($2,400 / year).
  • Unlimited number of pages, users, and traffic. Served from a global CDN for fast page loading.
  • All websites are generated as static sites, meaning page loading times remain lightning-fast even as your website traffic increases.

Ongoing Maintenance

  • Users do not need to perform any upgrades or security monitoring as these are all handled automatically.
  • Backups only available when requested, not automatic and not daily.
  • Uptime monitoring not included.
  • Customer Support available only via email, unless you are on the Team plan ($600 / year) or higher.
  • Users do not need to perform any upgrades or security monitoring as these are all handled automatically.
  • Nightly backups included in all plans.
  • Uptime monitoring every 30 seconds included in all plans.
  • Customer Support available via live chat in all plans.

Try JoyBird today for worry-free websites.

100% Satisfaction Guaranteed - refund available upon cancellation any time.