Ghost vs Pelcro:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, Ghost had more branded searches than Pelcro among digital publishing paywall platforms worldwide. Ghost had about 11,000 branded searches, while Pelcro had 1,010. Ghost made up 2.8% of all digital publishing paywall platform searches we track, and Pelcro accounted for 0.26%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about digital publishing paywall platforms, Pelcro appeared in four of the five answers and Ghost in two. Pelcro was mentioned before Ghost in three out of four answers.
Who do people search for more?
Ghost, about 11 searches for every 1 for Pelcro
Who does AI mention more?
Pelcro, mentioned in 4 of 5 answers, Ghost in 2
Who does AI recommend more?
Pelcro, named ahead of Ghost in 3 of 4 answers
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Top digital publishing paywall platforms in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Pelcro was mentioned in four out of five: in all three ChatGPT answers and in one of the two Google AI Overviews. Ghost was mentioned in two out of five: in two of the three ChatGPT answers, but not in either of the two Google AI Overviews. Pelcro was listed before Ghost in three out of four answers.
Most recommended by AI
Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.
Mentioned by AI
Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.
Piano4 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers- Pelcro4 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
Leaky Paywall4 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
Zephr3 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers- Ghost2 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
Poool1 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
See every answer about digital publishing paywall platforms
5 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“Which digital publishing paywall platform should I use?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the best digital publishing paywall platforms?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the best digital publishing paywall platform for a news site?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“best paywall software”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“digital subscription platform”
Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in the United States on October 20, 2026.
Is Ghost or Pelcro more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for Ghost and Pelcro by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all six digital publishing paywall platforms we track, month by month, from English-language searches worldwide.
Share of searches by month for Ghost, Pelcro. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | Zephr | Ghost | Poool | Piano | Pelcro | Leaky Paywall |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 94% | 3.4% | 1.7% | 0.46% | 0.41% | 0.08% |
| Nov 2025 | 94.1% | 3.4% | 1.7% | 0.45% | 0.31% | 0.08% |
| Dec 2025 | 94.2% | 3.3% | 1.7% | 0.45% | 0.28% | 0.07% |
| Jan 2026 | 93.7% | 3.5% | 2.1% | 0.45% | 0.23% | 0.08% |
| Feb 2026 | 94.2% | 3.4% | 1.7% | 0.37% | 0.28% | 0.08% |
| Mar 2026 | 93.1% | 4% | 2.1% | 0.46% | 0.31% | 0.08% |
| Apr 2026 | 94.2% | 3.5% | 1.7% | 0.3% | 0.23% | 0.07% |
| May 2026 | 92.7% | 4% | 2.5% | 0.47% | 0.27% | 0.06% |
| Jun 2026 | 95.4% | 2.3% | 1.7% | 0.26% | 0.19% | 0.04% |
| Jul 2026 | 93.8% | 2.9% | 2.6% | 0.37% | 0.28% | 0.05% |
| Aug 2026 | 94.1% | 3.1% | 2.1% | 0.34% | 0.28% | 0.05% |
| Sep 2026 | 94.8% | 2.8% | 1.7% | 0.3% | 0.26% | 0.04% |
How has the Ghost and Pelcro comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- Ghost was ahead of Pelcro in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Ghost’s share of searches among digital publishing paywall platforms worldwide moved from 3.4% to 2.8%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 10.8K to 11K.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Pelcro’s share of searches among digital publishing paywall platforms worldwide moved from 0.41% to 0.26%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 1.3K to 1K.
How did search popularity change for digital publishing paywall platforms worldwide in September 2026?
1 change
Estimated monthly branded searches for Pelcro worldwide fell 22.9% over 12 measured months, from 1.3K to 1K in September 2026.
How are branded searches counted?
13 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Ghost’s and Pelcro’s names. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for these branded terms can be used to understand whether interest in the brands is growing, holding steady, or fading.
Other head-to-heads among digital publishing paywall platforms
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