Brandwave

How popular isGhost?

In September 2026, people searched for Ghost by name about 18,300 times worldwide, a 21.9% decrease from the previous year. These searches made up 31.6% of all global paywall platform searches, placing Ghost second out of six platforms. When we asked both ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about paywall platforms, Ghost appeared in three of the five answers and was the most recommended of the six.

Search and AI answers in September 2026

Ghost is the second most searched of 6 competitors and the most recommended in AI answers.

  1. ZuoraShare of searches 43.7%Mentioned in 1 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 5th
  2. GhostShare of searches 31.6%Mentioned in 3 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 1st
  3. PooolShare of searches 19.5%Mentioned in 0 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations –
  4. MemberfulShare of searches 4.7%Mentioned in 3 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 2nd
  5. Leaky PaywallShare of searches 0.5%Mentioned in 2 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 4th

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Top paywall platforms in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews

In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Ghost was mentioned in three out of five: in all three ChatGPT answers, but not in either of the two Google AI Overviews. Ghost is the most recommended of the six.

Most recommended by AI

Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.

  1. Ghost1st
  2. Memberful2nd
  3. Piano3rd
  4. Leaky Paywall4th
  5. Zuora5th
  6. Poool–

Mentioned by AI

Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.

  • Ghost3 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
  • Memberful3 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
  • Leaky Paywall2 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
  • Piano2 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
  • Zuora1 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
  • Poool0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers

See every answer about paywall platforms

5 answers

Not named in any answer:

Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in the United States on October 21, 2026.

Which paywall platforms compete with Ghost?

Ghost against paywall platforms worldwide, by month

Share of searches by month for Zuora, Ghost, Poool, Memberful. The figures are in the table below the chart.

View monthly share of searches table
MonthZuoraGhostPooolMemberfulLeaky PaywallPiano
Oct 202549.2%28.9%14.7%6.5%0.71%0.03%
Nov 202545%31.9%16.4%5.8%0.79%0.03%
Dec 202544.8%30.9%16.4%7.3%0.64%0.03%
Jan 202642.3%31.2%18.9%6.9%0.74%0.03%
Feb 202644.2%31.6%16.1%7.2%0.78%0.03%
Mar 202645.5%31.3%16.6%6%0.65%0.03%
Apr 202640.3%35.9%18%5.2%0.71%0.03%
May 202639.2%33.7%21.5%5%0.56%0.03%
Jun 202641.4%30%22.7%5.3%0.59%0.03%
Jul 202639%29.2%26.1%5.2%0.55%0.03%
Aug 202645.6%29.6%20.3%4%0.52%0.03%
Sep 202643.7%31.6%19.5%4.7%0.5%0.03%

  1. 1.Zuora

    43.7%

    Held 1st. 14.8K estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share -1.9 points.

  2. 2.Ghost

    31.6%

    Held 2nd. 10.7K estimated branded searches, +11.3% vs prior month. Share +2 points.

  3. 3.Poool

    19.5%

    Held 3rd. 6.6K estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share -0.8 points.

  4. 4.Memberful

    4.7%

    Held 4th. 1.6K estimated branded searches, +23.1% vs prior month. Share +0.7 points.

  5. 5.Leaky Paywall

    0.5%

    Held 5th. 170 estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share 0 points.

  6. 6.Piano

    0.03%

    Held 6th. 10 estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share 0 points.

Compare popularity between Ghost and its closest rivals

Every comparison with Ghost

25 comparisons

How has branded search demand for Ghost changed worldwide over the last 12 months?

3 findings
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, estimated monthly branded searches for Ghost worldwide fell from 23.4K to 18.3K.
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Ghost’s share of searches among paywall platforms worldwide increased from 28.9% to 31.6%.
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Ghost’s share of searches among paywall platforms worldwide peaked at 35.9% in April 2026 and was lowest at 28.9% in October 2025.

How did search popularity change for paywall platforms worldwide in September 2026?

5 changes

  1. In September 2026, Ghost gained share of searches among paywall platforms worldwide, from 29.6% to 31.6%.

  2. In September 2026, Memberful gained share of searches among paywall platforms worldwide, from 4% to 4.7%.

  3. In September 2026, Zuora lost share of searches among paywall platforms worldwide, from 45.6% to 43.7%.

  4. In September 2026, Poool lost share of searches among paywall platforms worldwide, from 20.3% to 19.5%.

  5. Estimated monthly branded searches for Leaky Paywall worldwide fell 34.6% over 12 measured months, from 260 to 170 in September 2026.

How are Ghost’s branded searches counted?

14 search terms

Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Ghost’s name. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for these branded terms can be used to understand whether interest in the brand is growing, holding steady, or fading.

  • ghost blog
  • ghost blog platform
  • ghost blogging platform
  • Ghost CMS
  • ghost cms docker
  • ghost cms github
  • ghost cms themes
  • ghost headless cms
  • ghost io
  • ghost newsletter
  • ghost newsletter platform
  • ghost publishing platform
  • ghost wordpress
  • ghost.io

Do you work for Ghost? To request corrections or removal please contact us via our support page and we will be happy to assist.

How the Brand Demand Index is measured

Where does Ghost compete?

Ghost is ranked in six competitor sets. Each share is worked out among that set's brands, so it differs from set to set.
Competitor setRankShare of searchesRanking
Blog hosting platforms7th of 70.16%Show ranking
Newsletter platforms6th of 70.32%Show ranking
Paid newsletter platforms5th of 50.47%Show ranking
Digital publishing paywall platforms2nd of 62.8%Show ranking
News publishing platforms3rd of 811.7%Show ranking
Paywall platforms2nd of 631.6%Shown above
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Is Ghost your brand?

Put your own campaigns, spend and outcomes next to this demand line, so you can see which of your marketing lined up with the movements above.

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