Focalboard
Ghost
| Feature | Focalboard | Ghost |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free only | Free / from $9/mo |
| Free Plan | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| Rating | 4 / 5 | 4.4 / 5 |
| Best For | self-hosters, mattermost-users, small-teams, open-source-advocates | bloggers, publishers, newsletter-creators, indie-media |
| Founded | 2021 | 2013 |
| Kanban Boards | ✓ | ✗ |
| Table View | ✓ | ✗ |
| Calendar View | ✓ | ✗ |
| Templates | ✓ | ✗ |
| Filters | ✓ | ✗ |
| Self Hosting | ✓ | ✗ |
| Editor | ✗ | ✓ |
| Memberships | ✗ | ✓ |
| Newsletter | ✗ | ✓ |
| Seo | ✗ | ✓ |
| Themes | ✗ | ✓ |
| Native Analytics | ✗ | ✓ |
✓ Focalboard Pros
- Completely free and open-source
- Self-hostable for data control
- Multiple view types (board, table, gallery)
- Integrates with Mattermost
✗ Focalboard Cons
- Limited to basic project tracking
- No built-in time tracking
- Smaller community than alternatives
✓ Ghost Pros
- Fast and clean
- Built-in memberships
- Newsletter included
- Open source
✗ Ghost Cons
- Limited themes
- No page builder
- Requires technical knowledge
The Verdict
Focalboard is built for self hosters and mattermost users, with a focus on kanban-boards and table-view. Ghost targets bloggers and publishers and leads with editor and memberships.
Focalboard uses custom enterprise pricing, while Ghost starts at $9/mo — a tangible advantage for teams with a fixed budget.
Both offer free plans, so you can test each with your real workflow before committing to a subscription.
Ghost edges out on user ratings (4.4 vs 4). While both are well-regarded, that gap reflects real differences in user satisfaction worth considering.
Bottom line: Ghost has a slight overall edge — but if completely free and open-source matters most to you, Focalboard may still be the right call.