Ghost vs HubSpot CRM
A detailed, side-by-side comparison of Ghost and HubSpot CRM. We compare features, pricing, ease of use, and value for money to help you make the right choice in 2026.
Reviewed by the Ikaroa team · Last updated: March 2026
Quick Verdict
HubSpot CRM edges ahead overall with a rating of 4.5/5. However, Ghost (4.3/5) may be the better fit if you prioritise Content creators, journalists, and newsletter writers wanting a modern publishing platform. Read on for the full breakdown.
Ghost vs HubSpot CRM at a Glance
Ghost
★ 4.3Ghost is a professional publishing platform built for content creators, journalists, and newsletter writers. It combines a beautiful, distraction-free editor with membership and subscription features, native newsletters, and excellent SEO. Open source at its core, Ghost is the modern alternative to WordPress for serious publishers.
Starting from: £7/month
Best for: Content creators, journalists, and newsletter writers wanting a modern publishing platform
Read full review →HubSpot CRM
★ 4.5HubSpot offers a free CRM with powerful marketing, sales, and service tools. Popular with small to mid-sized businesses for its generous free tier and intuitive interface.
Starting from: £0/month
Best for: Small to mid-sized businesses wanting a free starting point with room to grow
Read full review →Ghost vs HubSpot CRM Feature Comparison
Here is how Ghost and HubSpot CRM compare across the features that matter most. We have tested both platforms extensively across client implementations.
| Feature | Ghost | HubSpot CRM |
|---|---|---|
| Free Plan Available | No | Yes |
| Starting Price | £7/month | £0/month |
| Best For | Content creators, journalists, and newsletter writers wanting a modern publishing platform | Small to mid-sized businesses wanting a free starting point with room to grow |
| Our Rating | 4.3/5 | 4.5/5 |
| Mobile App | Limited | Yes |
| Email Marketing | No | Yes |
| Automation | Limited | Yes |
| Reporting | Basic | Yes |
| Integrations | Limited | Extensive |
| API Access | Yes | Limited |
| Ikaroa Exclusive Discount | N/A | N/A |
Ghost vs HubSpot CRM Pricing
Pricing is often the deciding factor. Here is a full breakdown of what each platform charges at every tier:
Ghost Pricing
Starter
£7/month
- ✓1 staff user
- ✓500 members
- ✓Custom themes
- ✓Native newsletters
Creator
£22/month
- ✓2 staff users
- ✓1,000 members
- ✓Premium themes
- ✓Email analytics
Team
£44/month
- ✓5 staff users
- ✓5,000 members
- ✓Advanced analytics
- ✓Custom integrations
Business
£155/month
- ✓Unlimited staff
- ✓Unlimited members
- ✓Priority support
- ✓SLA
HubSpot CRM Pricing
Free
£0/month
- ✓Contact management
- ✓Email tracking
- ✓Deal pipeline
- ✓Live chat
Starter
£18/month
- ✓Everything in Free
- ✓Email marketing
- ✓Ad management
- ✓Landing pages
Professional
£720/month
- ✓Everything in Starter
- ✓Automation
- ✓Custom reporting
- ✓Teams
Enterprise
£3,000/month
- ✓Everything in Professional
- ✓Advanced permissions
- ✓Predictive lead scoring
- ✓Custom objects
Not sure which to pick?
Our team has implemented both Ghost and HubSpot CRM for clients. We can help you decide based on your specific needs.
Ghost Pros and Cons
✓Pros
- •Beautiful, distraction-free writing experience
- •Built-in memberships and paid subscriptions
- •Native newsletter functionality
- •Excellent SEO out of the box
- •Open source and transparent
✗Cons
- •Not a general-purpose website builder
- •Limited design customisation without coding
- •Smaller theme and plugin ecosystem
- •No drag-and-drop page builder
- •Self-hosting requires technical knowledge
HubSpot CRM Pros and Cons
✓Pros
- •Generous free tier with no time limit
- •Excellent user interface and onboarding
- •All-in-one platform (marketing, sales, service)
- •Huge integration marketplace (1,000+)
- •Strong community and learning resources
✗Cons
- •Gets expensive quickly at Professional tier
- •Free plan has HubSpot branding
- •Limited customisation on lower tiers
- •Annual contracts on paid plans
- •Per-seat pricing adds up for larger teams
Our Verdict: Ghost vs HubSpot CRM
Both Ghost and HubSpot CRM are solid options, but they serve different needs. Having implemented both for multiple clients, here is our recommendation:
Choose Ghost if you need Content creators, journalists, and newsletter writers wanting a modern publishing platform. With a starting price of £7/month and a rating of 4.3/5, it offers beautiful, distraction-free writing experience.
Choose HubSpot CRM if you need Small to mid-sized businesses wanting a free starting point with room to grow. Starting at £0/month with a 4.5/5 rating, it excels at generous free tier with no time limit.
Still not sure? Talk to the Ikaroa team. We have helped hundreds of businesses make this exact decision, and we are happy to point you in the right direction.
🎁 Get either product at a discount through Ikaroa Partners
Consider Open Doors Instead
Why choose between Ghost and HubSpot CRM? Open Doors gives you the best features of both in one platform, for less. It is an all-in-one CRM with email marketing, SMS, funnels, booking, invoicing, automation, and more, starting at just £97/month with unlimited contacts.
Need implementation help?
Ikaroa can set up Ghost or HubSpot CRM for your business, migrate your data, and train your team. We have done it dozens of times.
Free consultation. No obligation.