Ghost
Rocket.Chat
| Feature | Ghost | Rocket.Chat |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free / from $9/mo | Free / from $4/mo |
| Free Plan | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| Rating | 4.4 / 5 | 4.1 / 5 |
| Best For | bloggers, publishers, newsletter-creators, indie-media | developers, self-hosted-teams, enterprises, customer-support-teams |
| Founded | 2013 | 2015 |
| Editor | ✓ | ✗ |
| Memberships | ✓ | ✗ |
| Newsletter | ✓ | ✗ |
| Seo | ✓ | ✗ |
| Themes | ✓ | ✗ |
| Native Analytics | ✓ | ✗ |
| Channels | ✗ | ✓ |
| Direct Messaging | ✗ | ✓ |
| Video Conferencing | ✗ | ✓ |
| Omnichannel | ✗ | ✓ |
| Marketplace | ✗ | ✓ |
| Federation | ✗ | ✓ |
✓ Ghost Pros
- Fast and clean
- Built-in memberships
- Newsletter included
- Open source
✗ Ghost Cons
- Limited themes
- No page builder
- Requires technical knowledge
✓ Rocket.Chat Pros
- Fully open-source
- Self-hosted option
- Omnichannel customer support
- Highly customizable
✗ Rocket.Chat Cons
- Requires server resources to self-host
- Less polished than Slack
- Plugin quality varies
The Verdict
Ghost is built for bloggers and publishers, with a focus on editor and memberships. Rocket.Chat targets developers and self hosted teams and leads with channels and direct-messaging.
On pricing, Rocket.Chat is the clear winner for budget-conscious users — starting at $4/mo compared to $9/mo for Ghost. That $5/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.
Ghost edges out on user ratings (4.4 vs 4.1). 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 fully open-source matters most to you, Rocket.Chat may still be the right call.