AdRoll
Ghost
| Feature | AdRoll | Ghost |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | From $36/mo | Free / from $9/mo |
| Free Plan | ✗ No | ✓ Yes |
| Rating | 4 / 5 | 4.5 / 5 |
| Best For | ecommerce, dtc-brands, small-businesses, shopify-stores | professional-bloggers, independent-publishers, news-sites, creators |
| Founded | 2007 | 2013 |
| Retargeting | ✓ | ✗ |
| Display Ads | ✓ | ✗ |
| Social Ads | ✓ | ✗ |
| Email Marketing | ✓ | ✗ |
| Ai Bidding | ✓ | ✗ |
| Audience Segmentation | ✓ | ✗ |
| Publishing | ✗ | ✓ |
| Newsletters | ✗ | ✓ |
| Memberships | ✗ | ✓ |
| Seo | ✗ | ✓ |
| Themes | ✗ | ✓ |
| Integrations | ✗ | ✓ |
| Self Hosting | ✗ | ✓ |
✓ AdRoll Pros
- Great retargeting
- Cross-channel campaigns
- AI optimization
- Easy Shopify integration
✗ AdRoll Cons
- Minimum spend required
- Learning curve
- Reporting could improve
✓ Ghost Pros
- Open-source and self-hostable (free)
- Native membership and paid subscription support
- Fast and SEO-friendly by default
- Clean writing experience without bloat
✗ Ghost Cons
- Themes require code knowledge to customize
- Smaller plugin ecosystem than WordPress
- Self-hosting requires technical maintenance
The Verdict
AdRoll is built for ecommerce and dtc brands, with a focus on retargeting and display-ads. Ghost targets professional bloggers and independent publishers and leads with publishing and newsletters.
On pricing, Ghost is the clear winner for budget-conscious users — starting at $9/mo compared to $36/mo for AdRoll. That $27/mo difference adds up quickly for growing teams.
Ghost has a free plan, which gives it a meaningful edge for individuals and small teams exploring their options. AdRoll requires a paid subscription from day one.
Ghost edges out on user ratings (4.5 vs 4). While both are well-regarded, that gap reflects real differences in user satisfaction worth considering.
Feature-wise, Ghost offers broader built-in capabilities (7 features vs 6), while AdRoll takes a more focused approach — which can mean a simpler, faster onboarding experience.
Bottom line: Ghost has a slight overall edge — but if great retargeting matters most to you, AdRoll may still be the right call.