Ghost

Overview

Ghost is an open-source publishing platform built specifically for professional content creators who want complete ownership of their publication. Originally launched in October 2013 through a Kickstarter campaign, Ghost was designed to simplify online publishing for individual bloggers and online publications . Unlike platforms that treat websites and newsletters as separate functions, Ghost integrates both into a unified publishing environment where your website serves as your content archive and email newsletters reach subscribers directly from the same interface.

Ghost powers publications for notable outlets including Platformer, 404Media, Lever News, Tangle, and The Browser, along with thousands of independent creators . As of August 2025, Ghost's own revenue reached significant scale while publishers using the platform collectively earned over $10 million three years prior, demonstrating its viability for creator monetization . The platform distinguishes itself through its focus on membership-based publishing, where creators can offer both free and paid subscription tiers without relying on advertising or external monetization tools.

What sets Ghost apart from newsletter-only platforms is its foundation as a complete content management system. You publish content to a fully-featured website that doubles as your newsletter archive, giving readers the choice to access content via email or web. The platform uses a Markdown-based editor that balances simplicity for writers with the power to embed HTML, images, videos, and dynamic content . For creators who value independence and control over their publishing infrastructure, Ghost offers both managed hosting and self-hosting options, allowing technical users to run their own servers if desired.

Best For

Ghost works best for professional writers, independent journalists, and publishers who treat their content as a business and want complete control over their publication. This includes investigative journalists building subscription-funded newsrooms, authors developing direct reader relationships, thought leaders establishing premium content businesses, and creators transitioning away from ad-dependent or platform-controlled models. The platform particularly suits creators who value ownership, want integrated website and newsletter functionality, and prefer open-source technology over proprietary platforms.

Key Features

• Native Membership and Paid Subscriptions: Ghost integrates directly with Stripe to handle recurring subscription payments , letting creators build sustainable membership businesses without third-party plugins. You can create multiple membership tiers with different pricing, benefits, and optional free trials , giving flexibility to experiment with pricing strategies. All membership and payment management happens directly within Ghost, using the same editor that creates newsletters , eliminating the complexity of connecting separate tools.

• Unified Website and Newsletter Publishing: Ghost publishes content simultaneously to your website and email newsletters, giving readers multiple ways to access your work. Posts published to your Ghost site automatically become available as web pages with proper URLs, improving discoverability through search engines while also reaching email subscribers. This dual-publishing approach builds a permanent content archive on your own domain rather than trapping your writing inside an email-only platform.

• Flexible Content Access Control: The platform allows granular control over which content is public, member-only, or premium. You can publish free content to build audience, gate specific articles for paying members, or create entirely separate content tracks for different subscription tiers. This flexibility lets you test various monetization strategies without rebuilding your entire publication structure.

• Open Source with Hosting Options: Ghost is released under the MIT License as open-source software , giving technically-inclined creators the option to self-host on their own servers for maximum control and cost efficiency. For creators who prefer managed hosting, Ghost(Pro) provides official managed hosting with automated installs, upgrades, backups, and a content delivery network . This dual approach means you can start with managed hosting and migrate to self-hosting later if your needs or budget change.

• Custom Theme System: Publisher plan users gain access to custom themes , allowing complete control over your publication's design and layout. The platform includes over 8,000 integrations through its API and webhook system, making it straightforward to connect Ghost with analytics tools, membership management systems, or custom workflows. For creators with development resources, this extensibility provides room to build sophisticated publishing operations.

Pricing

As of July 2025, Ghost(Pro) pricing starts with a Starter plan at $18 per month (billed yearly) supporting up to 1,000 members, including your own website, custom domain, email newsletters, and simple design settings . The Publisher plan costs $29 monthly and adds 3 staff users, custom themes, paid subscriptions, and advanced analytics . The Business plan at $199 monthly includes 15 staff users, priority support, higher usage limits, and early access to new features . All Ghost(Pro) plans can be upgraded, downgraded, or canceled without lock-in periods. Enterprise customers needing more than 100,000 members can access custom plans with unlimited staff, dedicated IP addresses, and 99.9% uptime SLAs . Alternatively, technically-skilled creators can self-host Ghost for free using the open-source software, paying only for their own server and infrastructure costs. The July 2025 pricing update removed paid subscription functionality from the Starter tier, making it available only on Publisher plans and above .