Ghost vs Semrush
A detailed, side-by-side comparison of Ghost and Semrush. 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
Semrush 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 Semrush 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 →Semrush
★ 4.5Semrush is the most comprehensive SEO and digital marketing toolkit on the market. It offers keyword research, site audits, competitor analysis, backlink tracking, content marketing tools, and PPC research. Used by agencies and in-house marketing teams worldwide as their primary SEO platform.
Starting from: £100/month
Best for: Agencies and marketing teams wanting the most comprehensive SEO and digital marketing toolkit
Read full review →Ghost vs Semrush Feature Comparison
Here is how Ghost and Semrush compare across the features that matter most. We have tested both platforms extensively across client implementations.
| Feature | Ghost | Semrush |
|---|---|---|
| Free Plan Available | No | No |
| Starting Price | £7/month | £100/month |
| Best For | Content creators, journalists, and newsletter writers wanting a modern publishing platform | Agencies and marketing teams wanting the most comprehensive SEO and digital marketing toolkit |
| Our Rating | 4.3/5 | 4.5/5 |
| Mobile App | Limited | Limited |
| Email Marketing | No | No |
| Automation | Limited | Limited |
| Reporting | Basic | Yes |
| Integrations | Limited | Limited |
| API Access | Yes | Limited |
| Ikaroa Exclusive Discount | N/A | N/A |
Ghost vs Semrush 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
Semrush Pricing
Pro
£100/month
- ✓5 projects
- ✓500 keywords to track
- ✓10,000 results per report
- ✓SEO, PPC, and research tools
Guru
£190/month
- ✓15 projects
- ✓1,500 keywords
- ✓30,000 results per report
- ✓Content marketing toolkit
Business
£350/month
- ✓40 projects
- ✓5,000 keywords
- ✓50,000 results per report
- ✓API access
Not sure which to pick?
Our team has implemented both Ghost and Semrush 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
Semrush Pros and Cons
✓Pros
- •Most comprehensive SEO toolkit available
- •Excellent keyword research database
- •Strong competitor analysis tools
- •Content marketing features included
- •Regular feature updates and improvements
✗Cons
- •Expensive, especially for individuals
- •Per-user pricing adds significant cost
- •Can be overwhelming for beginners
- •Some data can be less accurate for UK-specific searches
- •Learning curve for the full toolkit
Our Verdict: Ghost vs Semrush
Both Ghost and Semrush 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 Semrush if you need Agencies and marketing teams wanting the most comprehensive SEO and digital marketing toolkit. Starting at £100/month with a 4.5/5 rating, it excels at most comprehensive seo toolkit available.
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 Semrush? 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 Semrush for your business, migrate your data, and train your team. We have done it dozens of times.
Free consultation. No obligation.