Both open source with a polished editor and an optional business model on top. The split is shape: Ghost is a publishing product; Prelo is a CMS for whatever site your client needs.
For a blog, newsletter or paid membership publication, pick Ghost — subscriptions and email are built in and excellent. For agency client sites — services, portfolios, restaurants, anything with custom types and a bespoke frontend — Prelo fits where Ghost’s fixed post/page model doesn’t.
Ghost’s JSON export covers posts, pages and tags. An agent replays it through Prelo’s content API in minutes; members and subscriptions don’t transfer — that’s Ghost’s home turf.
Not natively. If email is the product, use Ghost; if the site just needs a blog, Prelo’s posts cover it.
Same open-source-plus-optional-hosting model, same “focused alternative to WordPress” positioning — aimed at publishers where Prelo aims at agencies.
More comparisons: WordPress alternative · Best headless CMS
Free and open source. One command, and the client gets a login instead of a Loom.