Ghost
Open-source publishing platform for blogs, newsletters and paid memberships, self-hosted or via Ghost(Pro).
Our verdict
What it does well
- Open source under the MIT licence, so you can self-host
- Newsletters and free or paid memberships are built in
- Ghost(Pro) revenue funds the non-profit Ghost Foundation
Where it falls short
- Ghost(Pro) has no free plan, and plans are priced by member count
- Cheapest plan has simple design settings and no custom themes
- Self-hosting means you handle servers, updates and uptime
Ghost is an open-source platform for publishing a website, sending posts as email newsletters and selling free or paid memberships. It offers hundreds of themes, native analytics and integrations with services such as Stripe, Zapier and Slack.
The code is released under the MIT licence, so you can run your own copy on a server. The official hosted option, Ghost(Pro), starts at $18 per month billed yearly (Starter), then $29 (Publisher) and $199 (Business), all in USD with a Custom plan on request. Ghost(Pro) plans are priced by audience size, and the pricing page shows 1,000 members at its default setting.
Ghost(Pro) has no free plan, but every paid plan has a 'Try for free' button. The pricing page does not give the trial length. Ghost says 100% of Ghost(Pro) revenue goes to the Ghost Foundation, which funds development of the project.
Ghost compared
Alternatives to Ghost
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- Paid
Last updated 16 October 2026. Facts checked against the official site on 16 October 2026. How we make money