Ecwid by Lightspeed
Ghost
| Feature | Ecwid by Lightspeed | Ghost |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free / from $19/mo | Free / from $9/mo |
| Free Plan | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| Rating | 4.2 / 5 | 4.5 / 5 |
| Best For | small-businesses, existing-websites, social-sellers, beginners | professional-bloggers, independent-publishers, news-sites, creators |
| Founded | 2009 | 2013 |
| Multi Channel | ✓ | ✗ |
| Website Widget | ✓ | ✗ |
| Pos Integration | ✓ | ✗ |
| Social Selling | ✓ | ✗ |
| Marketplace Sync | ✓ | ✗ |
| Shipping | ✓ | ✗ |
| Publishing | ✗ | ✓ |
| Newsletters | ✗ | ✓ |
| Memberships | ✗ | ✓ |
| Seo | ✗ | ✓ |
| Themes | ✗ | ✓ |
| Integrations | ✗ | ✓ |
| Self Hosting | ✗ | ✓ |
✓ Ecwid by Lightspeed Pros
- Add store to existing site
- Good free plan
- Multi-channel selling
- Easy setup
✗ Ecwid by Lightspeed Cons
- Limited customization on free plan
- SEO not as strong as Shopify
- Advanced features need higher tiers
✓ 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
Ecwid by Lightspeed is built for small businesses and existing websites, with a focus on multi-channel and website-widget. 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 $19/mo for Ecwid by Lightspeed. That $10/mo difference adds up quickly for growing teams.
Both offer free plans, so you can test each with your real workflow before committing to a subscription.
Feature-wise, Ghost offers broader built-in capabilities (7 features vs 6), while Ecwid by Lightspeed takes a more focused approach — which can mean a simpler, faster onboarding experience.
Bottom line: Ghost has a slight overall edge — but if add store to existing site matters most to you, Ecwid by Lightspeed may still be the right call.