Ghost
iA Writer
| Feature | Ghost | iA Writer |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free / from $9/mo | From $49.99/mo |
| Free Plan | ✓ Yes | ✗ No |
| Rating | 4.5 / 5 | 4.5 / 5 |
| Best For | professional-bloggers, independent-publishers, news-sites, creators | writers, bloggers, minimalists, focused-writers |
| Founded | 2013 | 2010 |
| Publishing | ✓ | ✓ |
| Newsletters | ✓ | ✗ |
| Memberships | ✓ | ✗ |
| Seo | ✓ | ✗ |
| Themes | ✓ | ✗ |
| Integrations | ✓ | ✗ |
| Self Hosting | ✓ | ✗ |
| Focus Mode | ✗ | ✓ |
| Markdown | ✗ | ✓ |
| Syntax Highlighting | ✗ | ✓ |
| Content Blocks | ✗ | ✓ |
| Style Check | ✗ | ✓ |
✓ 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
✓ iA Writer Pros
- Beautiful minimalism
- Focus mode
- Cross-platform
- One-time purchase
✗ iA Writer Cons
- Very minimal features
- No collaboration
- Limited formatting
The Verdict
Ghost is built for professional bloggers and independent publishers, with a focus on publishing and newsletters. iA Writer targets writers and bloggers and leads with focus-mode and markdown.
On pricing, Ghost is the clear winner for budget-conscious users — starting at $9/mo compared to $49.99/mo for iA Writer. That $40.99/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. iA Writer requires a paid subscription from day one.
Feature-wise, Ghost offers broader built-in capabilities (7 features vs 6), while iA Writer takes a more focused approach — which can mean a simpler, faster onboarding experience.
This is a genuinely close comparison. If you can, sign up for both free trials (where available) and run a one-week test with your actual team tasks before deciding.