100% No-Code
Sign up, build your site visually, start selling. No server to manage, no theme files to edit, no terminal commands. Ghost self-hosted requires sysadmin skills.
Comparison
PayFacile vs Ghost: No-Code Simplicity vs Open-Source Complexity
Ghost is a powerful publishing platform, but it requires hosting, themes, and technical setup. PayFacile is fully managed and subscription-first.
No credit card. No lock-in. Cancel anytime.
Side by side
Publishing Platform vs Subscription Platform
PayFacile
Ghost
Concept
All-in-one platform to sell subscriptions and digital products
Open-source publishing platform with memberships
Hosting
Fully managed (nothing to install)
Self-hosted (free, but server required) or Ghost Pro ($9 to $199/mo)
Technical skills needed
None: 100% no-code
Self-hosted: server admin + themes. Ghost Pro: some theme knowledge helpful
Commission on revenue
0%
0%
Starting price
€24/mo (everything included)
Free (self-hosted) or $9/mo (Ghost Pro Starter)
Billing flexibility
Advanced recurring billing (trials, coupons, upgrades, dunning)
Basic membership tiers (free/paid)
Invoicing & VAT
Automatic (compliant invoices, VAT handling, dunning)
No invoicing, no VAT management
SEPA / Direct debit
Yes, via GoCardless
No: Stripe only
Customer portal
Included (Portal: subscription, invoices, payment management)
Basic account page for members
Content & publishing
Page builder + blog + gated content
Excellent editor, newsletters, content gating
Emails & automations
Built-in workflows (triggers, filters, email sending)
Newsletter sending: no advanced workflow automations
Themes & design
Visual drag-and-drop editor (no coding)
Handlebars themes (requires coding for customization)
The real cost
Ghost is free: until you count the hidden costs.
Self-hosted Ghost is free, but you need a server ($5 to $50/mo), SSL, email delivery (Mailgun), theme customization, and ongoing maintenance. Ghost Pro simplifies this but starts at $9/mo and scales to $199/mo for 10K members. Neither option includes invoicing, VAT, or SEPA.
Ghost
PayFacile
Platform
Free (self-hosted) or $9 to $199/mo (Ghost Pro)
€24 to €48/mo
Hosting & maintenance
$5 to $50/mo + sysadmin time (self-hosted)
Included
Email delivery
Mailgun required ($35+/mo at scale)
Included
Invoicing & VAT
Not available: third-party tool needed
Included
SEPA payments
Not available
Included (GoCardless)
Theme customization
Developer needed ($500 to $2,000+)
Visual editor, no code
Total
$50 to $300+/mo + dev costs (self-hosted) or $9 to $199/mo (Ghost Pro)
€24 to €48/mo, everything included
Ghost is powerful for publishers who want full control. But the total cost of ownership adds up, especially without invoicing, VAT, or SEPA.
Why PayFacile
Fully managed. No server. No theme files.
Automatic Invoicing & VAT
Compliant invoices generated automatically with VAT handling and dunning. Ghost does not provide invoicing or VAT management.
SEPA & Direct Debit
Accept SEPA direct debit via GoCardless: essential for European businesses. Ghost only supports Stripe credit card payments.
Advanced Billing
Trials, coupons, plan upgrades, automatic dunning, flexible billing periods. Ghost offers basic free/paid membership tiers.
Full Customer Portal
Subscribers manage their subscription, invoices, and payment method in a dedicated portal. Ghost offers a basic member account page.
GDPR Compliant, EU Hosted
Data stored in the EU, GDPR compliant by design. Ghost self-hosted depends on your server location; Ghost Pro is US-based.
Who it's for
Ghost is an excellent tool: for technical publishers
If you’re a developer, a media company, or a publication that wants full control over design and infrastructure, Ghost is outstanding. The editor is beautiful, the performance is fast, and the open-source community is active.
But if you’re a coach, trainer, or entrepreneur who needs to sell subscriptions with proper invoicing, VAT, and SEPA (without managing servers or editing theme files) PayFacile is the simpler path.
Got questions
Frequently asked questions
Ghost is open-source and free to self-host, but you need a server, email service (Mailgun), and technical skills. Ghost Pro (managed hosting) starts at $9/mo and goes up to $199/mo.
Neither takes a large platform commission. PayFacile charges a low 1% transaction fee (0.5% on Enterprise). The real difference is what’s included: PayFacile provides invoicing, VAT, SEPA, dunning, customer portal, and a visual builder, out of the box. Ghost focuses on publishing and requires third-party tools for billing features.
Yes. Your Stripe subscriptions and member list can be imported. Contact us for assisted migration.
Ghost supports gated content (members-only posts), but it’s not designed as a course or product platform. PayFacile lets you sell courses, digital files, and memberships with flexible billing.
No. Ghost does not generate invoices and does not manage VAT. If you sell to European customers, you need a separate invoicing solution. PayFacile handles this automatically.
Sell subscriptions without managing a server.
Fully managed. Invoicing, VAT, SEPA, customer portal, all included. No code required.
No credit card. No lock-in. Cancel anytime.
Grow your business online with a website, an online store and/or a membership platform!7 reasons to use PayFacile
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