Ghost vs Hashnode
Pricing
Ghost: Self-host free, managed from $9/mo
Hashnode: Free tier (1 blog), Pro $5/mo per blog
Description
Ghost: Open source publishing platform for serious writers
Hashnode: Developer-focused blogging platform with a built-in community, plus custom domains and a GraphQL API on Pro
Pros
- Open source (MIT license)
- Built-in memberships and payments
- Fast and clean
- Free blog on a hashnode.dev subdomain, with posts shown in Hashnode's community feed
- Pro is cheap: $5/mo or $50/yr per blog
- Headless mode available via GraphQL API on Pro
Cons
- Self-hosting needs technical skills
- Smaller plugin ecosystem than WP
- Custom domains, the GraphQL API and headless mode need Pro
- Free accounts are limited to one blog
- Primarily geared toward technical and developer content
- Limited design customization on the free plan
Details
Ghost is what WordPress wishes it still was: focused on writing. Founded by John O’Nolan (ex-WordPress core team) as a non-profit. Bootstrapped after getting rejected by YC twice. Now generated over $136M total, used by Apple, DuckDuckGo, Mozilla. You can self-host free or use their managed service.
Hashnode is a blogging platform built for developers. A free account gets one blog on a hashnode.dev subdomain, and posts are also distributed through Hashnode’s community feed, giving new blogs built-in discoverability. Hashnode Pro, launched on 11 June 2026, costs $5 a month or $50 a year per blog. It adds a custom domain, the GraphQL API and headless mode, AI editor tools, webhooks, GitHub backup, scheduled publishing, removal of Hashnode branding, and up to 10 blogs.
Ghost verified
Hashnode verified
