Overview
Ghost is an open-source publishing platform focused on blogs, newsletters and paid memberships. Its code is published on GitHub, and the hosted Ghost(Pro) service is operated by the Ghost Foundation, which presents itself as a non-profit organisation.[3] Unlike general-purpose content management systems, Ghost builds email newsletters and member subscriptions into the core product, so a publisher can send posts by email and charge readers without additional plugins.
Ghost(Pro) plans are billed yearly. Starter costs US$18 a month for up to 1,000 members and one staff user but does not support paid subscriptions; Publisher costs US$29 a month with three staff users; Business costs US$199 a month with 15 staff users; and Custom plans are quote-based. Ghost takes 0% of subscription revenue on paid plans, although payment processor fees still apply.[3] Because the software is open source, Ghost can also be self-hosted at no licence cost. Its limitations are a smaller theme and integration ecosystem than WordPress, member caps that raise the price as an audience grows, and an inconsistency on the pricing page between 1,000 and 10,000 members for the Business plan.
Ghost features
- Built-in newsletters and memberships
- 0% platform fee on subscriptions
- Open-source code on GitHub
- Self-hosting option
- Staff user roles
- Free trial on hosted plans
- Open-source code, self-hostable
- Members and paid subscriptions
Ghost pricing
Ghost(Pro), billed yearly: Starter US$18/month (1,000 members, 1 staff user, no paid subscriptions); Publisher US$29/month (3 staff users); Business US$199/month (15 staff users); Custom by quote. 0% Ghost fee on subscriptions; payment processor fees apply. Free trial offered.
Ghost strengths and limitations
Strengths
- No revenue share on subscriptions
- Newsletters and memberships built in
- Open-source and self-hostable
- Clean, fast editor
- Open source with a free self-host option
- Cannot be acquired under its constitution
Limitations
- Paid subscriptions not available on Starter
- Price rises with member count
- Smaller ecosystem than WordPress
- Monthly-billing rates not shown on the pricing page
- Starter plan cannot sell paid subscriptions
- No built-in ad network or referral programme
Appears in
Ghost alternatives and competitors
Alternatives to Ghost: companies ranked in the same lists.
Substack
beehiiv
WordPress (self-hosted)
Mailchimp
AWeber
Flodesk
EmailOctopus
Buttondown
Brevo
MailerLite
Write.as
Kit
Is this your company?
Update the description, logo, image and link through the submission form. Editors review every change.