EngageBay vs Ghost
EngageBay is a all-in-one marketing platform while Ghost is a newsletter platform. Ghost has been around since 2013, giving it a 5-year head start over EngageBay (founded 2018). EngageBay is the more affordable option at $14.99/mo — that's $3.01 less per month than Ghost's $18/mo entry point. Both offer free plans to get started. EngageBay has the edge with marketing automation, A/B testing, landing pages.
Quick Verdict
EngageBay wins on price, rating.
Ghost wins on integrations.
Best for most users: EngageBay (small businesses on a budget).
EngageBay
All-in-one CRM for marketing, sales & support
EngageBay is a bootstrapped all-in-one CRM platform that bundles marketing automation, sales pipeline management, helpdesk ticketing, and live chat into a single affordable package. Founded in 2018 as a cost-effective alternative to HubSpot, it serves over 150,000 businesses with a free plan supporting up to 15 users. Its strongest differentiator is delivering the full marketing-sales-support stack at a fraction of enterprise CRM pricing, making it particularly attractive to budget-conscious SMBs.
Ghost
Open-source publishing platform with built-in newsletters and memberships
Ghost is an independent, open-source publishing platform built for professional content creators who want full control over their audience and revenue. It combines a beautiful writing editor, built-in newsletters via Mailgun, and native membership/subscription billing with zero platform fees. Available as a free self-hosted solution or as managed Ghost(Pro) hosting starting at $18/month.
Feature Comparison
| Feature | EngageBay | Ghost |
|---|---|---|
| Rating | 4.7/5 | 4.1/5 |
| Starting Price | $14.99/mo | $18/mo |
| Free Plan | 250 contacts, 1,000 branded emails, up to 15 users | Self-hosted open-source version is completely free; no free tier on Ghost(Pro) |
| Founded | 2018 | 2013 |
| Email Templates | 100 | 50 |
| Integrations | 30 | 1,000 |
| Deliverability Rate | 95% | 95% |
| Marketing Automation | ✓ | ✕ |
| A/B Testing | ✓ | ✕ |
| Landing Pages | ✓ | ✕ |
| Segmentation | ✓ | ✓ |
| Drag & Drop Editor | ✓ | ✕ |
| SMS Marketing | ✓ | ✕ |
| Ecommerce Features | ✓ | ✓ |
| API Access | ✓ | ✓ |
| Multi-Language | ✕ | ✓ |
| Web Push Notifications | ✓ | ✕ |
| Live Chat | ✓ | ✕ |
| Advanced Analytics | ✓ | ✓ |
EngageBay: Pros & Cons
Pros
- +Exceptionally affordable all-in-one platform combining CRM, marketing, sales, and support — Pro plan at $119.99/mo vs HubSpot at $900+/mo
- +Generous free plan supports up to 15 team members with email marketing, CRM, helpdesk, and live chat included
- +Highly rated customer support (4.8/5 on Capterra) with live chat and real human agents available 24/5
- +Built-in landing page builder with 87 templates, web forms, pop-ups, and SMS marketing included from Basic plan
- +Strong marketing automation with visual workflow builder, lead scoring, and A/B testing on Growth plan and above
Cons
- −Limited email editor widgets and somewhat outdated email template designs compared to modern competitors
- −Reporting module offers only basic analytics — lacks advanced custom reporting depth for data-driven teams
- −Per-user pricing model becomes expensive as teams scale beyond 5-10 users, especially on Growth and Pro plans
- −Occasional performance issues including slow page loads and intermittent bugs reported by users
- −Steep learning curve for advanced features — the breadth of the all-in-one platform can overwhelm new users
Ghost: Pros & Cons
Pros
- +Completely open-source with self-hosting option at zero cost
- +Built-in membership and paid subscription system with 0% platform fees on revenue
- +Distraction-free professional editor optimized for long-form writing
- +Significantly faster page load times compared to WordPress, boosting SEO and reader engagement
- +Native newsletter delivery integrated directly into the publishing workflow
Cons
- −Newsletter emails are limited to Mailgun as the sending provider, which is no longer free
- −No plugin ecosystem or marketplace unlike WordPress — limited extensibility
- −Analytics are basic and only show the last 90 days on the dashboard
- −No drag-and-drop email builder or A/B testing for email campaigns
- −Starter plan limited to only 1 staff user and 1 newsletter with no paid subscription support
The Verdict
EngageBay edges ahead with a 4.7/5 rating compared to Ghost's 4.1/5. The gap comes mainly from ease of use (4.8 vs 3.9) and support (4.8 vs 3.9).
| Criterion | Weight | EngageBay | Ghost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starting Price | 30% | $14.99/mo | $18/mo |
| Deliverability | 25% | 95% | 95% |
| Rating | 25% | 4.7/5 | 4.1/5 |
| Integrations | 10% | 30 | 1000 |
| Free Tier | 10% | Yes | Yes |
Weights determine how much each criterion counts toward the final score. See full methodology
Choose EngageBay if…
- + You want lower starting costs ($14.99/mo)
- + You need SMS marketing
- + You need marketing automation
- + You need built-in landing pages
Choose Ghost if…
- + You're a independent publishers and bloggers
- + You're a newsletter creators who want zero platform fees
- + Completely open-source with self-hosting option at zero cost