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Circle vs Ghost fees
How Circle and Ghost fees compare, using each vendor's public pricing. Best plan = highest net at that size.
50 members at $19.00/month
| Platform (best plan) | Gross | Platform plan + fees | Processing | Net / month | Data |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Circle (Professional) | $950.00 | $108.00 | $42.55 | $799.45 | ? uncertain |
| Ghost (Publisher (Ghost Pro)) | $950.00 | $29.00 | $42.55 | $878.45 | ✓ verified |
200 members at $29.00/month
| Platform (best plan) | Gross | Platform plan + fees | Processing | Net / month | Data |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Circle (Professional) | $5,800.00 | $205.00 | $228.20 | $5,366.80 | ? uncertain |
| Ghost (Publisher (Ghost Pro)) | $5,800.00 | $29.00 | $228.20 | $5,542.80 | ✓ verified |
1,000 members at $29.00/month
| Platform (best plan) | Gross | Platform plan + fees | Processing | Net / month | Data |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Circle (Business) | $29,000.00 | $489.00 | $1,141.00 | $27,370.00 | ? uncertain |
| Ghost (Publisher (Ghost Pro)) | $29,000.00 | $29.00 | $1,141.00 | $27,830.00 | ✓ verified |
Try your own numbers in the calculator → · Full details: Circle pricing, Ghost pricing.
Circle plans
| Plan | Billed annually | Billed monthly | Platform fee | Payment processing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Professional | $89.00/mo ✓ verified | not listed | 2% ✓ verified | 2.9% + $0.30 ? assumed |
| Business | $199.00/mo ✓ verified | not listed | 1% ✓ verified | 2.9% + $0.30 ? assumed |
| Scale | $419.00/mo ✓ verified | not listed | 1% ✓ verified | 2.9% + $0.30 ? assumed |
Sources and notes
Notes
- Listed prices are for annual billing; Circle's page does not show a monthly-billing price.
- Circle does not say which payment processing fees apply on top of its transaction fee, so Stripe's standard rate is assumed.
- Optional add-ons (Email Hub from $99.00/mo, extra admins or spaces, AI credits) are not included.
- Payment processing: Circle's pricing page lists a transaction fee but not the processor's charge. Stripe's standard 2.9% + $0.30 is assumed on top; check with Circle before relying on it.
Sources
- https://circle.so/pricing · verified 2026-10-18 · ✓ verified
- https://stripe.com/pricing · verified 2026-10-18 · ? assumed
Ghost plans
| Plan | Billed annually | Billed monthly | Platform fee | Payment processing | Limit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Publisher (Ghost Pro) | $29.00/mo ✓ verified | not listed | 0% ✓ verified | 2.9% + $0.30 ✓ verified | 1,000 members |
| Business (Ghost Pro) | $199.00/mo ✓ verified | not listed | 0% ✓ verified | 2.9% + $0.30 ✓ verified | 10,000 members |
Sources and notes
Notes
- Ghost(Pro) pricing depends on member count. Only entry prices for up to 1,000 members are shown, and paid subscriptions require Publisher or higher.
- Ghost's page is inconsistent about the Business member limit (1,000 in the feature list, 10,000 in the comparison table).
- Self-hosting Ghost is free software, but you pay for your own server. This is not included.
- Platform fee: Ghost charges no transaction fees.
- Payment processing: Stripe's payment processing fees still apply.
- Business (Ghost Pro): The member limit is unclear: Ghost's page lists both 1,000 and 10,000.
Sources
- https://ghost.org/pricing/ · verified 2026-10-18 · ✓ verified
- https://stripe.com/pricing · verified 2026-10-18 · ✓ verified
Frequently asked questions
Which keeps more at 50 members paying $19.00/month, Circle or Ghost?
Ghost (Publisher (Ghost Pro)) keeps about $878.45 per month, versus about $799.45 for Circle (Professional), using the best plan of each. This follows the assumptions on the method page.
Which keeps more at 200 members paying $29.00/month, Circle or Ghost?
Ghost (Publisher (Ghost Pro)) keeps about $5,542.80 per month, versus about $5,366.80 for Circle (Professional), using the best plan of each. This follows the assumptions on the method page.
Which keeps more at 1,000 members paying $29.00/month, Circle or Ghost?
Ghost (Publisher (Ghost Pro)) keeps about $27,830.00 per month, versus about $27,370.00 for Circle (Business), using the best plan of each. This follows the assumptions on the method page.