# Circle vs Ghost fees

Page: https://membermath.app/compare/circle-vs-ghost.html
Last verified: 2026-10-18

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 |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Circle (Professional) | $950.00 | $108.00 | $42.55 | $799.45 |
| Ghost (Publisher (Ghost Pro)) | $950.00 | $29.00 | $42.55 | $878.45 |

## 200 members at $29.00/month

| Platform (best plan) | Gross | Platform plan + fees | Processing | Net / month |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Circle (Professional) | $5,800.00 | $205.00 | $228.20 | $5,366.80 |
| Ghost (Publisher (Ghost Pro)) | $5,800.00 | $29.00 | $228.20 | $5,542.80 |

## 1,000 members at $29.00/month

| Platform (best plan) | Gross | Platform plan + fees | Processing | Net / month |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Circle (Business) | $29,000.00 | $489.00 | $1,141.00 | $27,370.00 |
| Ghost (Publisher (Ghost Pro)) | $29,000.00 | $29.00 | $1,141.00 | $27,830.00 |

## 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.

## Circle plans

| Plan | Billed annually | Billed monthly | Platform fee | Payment processing |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Professional | $89.00/mo ([source](https://circle.so/pricing), verified 2026-10-18, verified) | not listed | 2% ([source](https://circle.so/pricing), verified 2026-10-18, verified) | 2.9% + $0.30 ([source](https://stripe.com/pricing), verified 2026-10-18, assumed) |
| Business | $199.00/mo ([source](https://circle.so/pricing), verified 2026-10-18, verified) | not listed | 1% ([source](https://circle.so/pricing), verified 2026-10-18, verified) | 2.9% + $0.30 ([source](https://stripe.com/pricing), verified 2026-10-18, assumed) |
| Scale | $419.00/mo ([source](https://circle.so/pricing), verified 2026-10-18, verified) | not listed | 1% ([source](https://circle.so/pricing), verified 2026-10-18, verified) | 2.9% + $0.30 ([source](https://stripe.com/pricing), verified 2026-10-18, assumed) |

### 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 |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Publisher (Ghost Pro) | $29.00/mo ([source](https://ghost.org/pricing/), verified 2026-10-18, verified) | not listed | 0% ([source](https://ghost.org/pricing/), verified 2026-10-18, verified) | 2.9% + $0.30 ([source](https://stripe.com/pricing), verified 2026-10-18, verified) |
| Business (Ghost Pro) | $199.00/mo ([source](https://ghost.org/pricing/), verified 2026-10-18, verified) | not listed | 0% ([source](https://ghost.org/pricing/), verified 2026-10-18, verified) | 2.9% + $0.30 ([source](https://stripe.com/pricing), verified 2026-10-18, verified) |

### 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)