Ghost
6.9/10Open-source publishing platform that combines a website, newsletters, and paid memberships for independent publishers, creators, and media businesses.
Data last updated November 2026 · Our methodology
Overview
Ghost is an open-source publishing platform run by a non-profit foundation. It combines a website CMS, email newsletters, and paid memberships in one product. Publishers write posts once and can publish them to the site, send them as newsletters, or both. They can charge members through Stripe-powered subscription tiers and special offers, and Ghost takes no cut of that revenue. The core software is free to self-host. Most buyers use Ghost(Pro), the managed hosting service. On annual billing it costs $18 a month for Starter, $29 for Publisher, $199 for Business, and a custom price for the enterprise tier. Plans are mainly limited by member count, staff users, number of newsletters, and premium tiers. Paid subscriptions, custom themes, advanced analytics, and API and Zapier access begin on Publisher. Ghost lists more than 100 integrations, including Zapier, Stripe, Mailchimp, ActiveCampaign, Google Analytics, Plausible, Shopify, and Discord. A Content and Admin API with webhooks supports custom builds. Ghost suits newsletter-led publishers, creators moving from Substack, and media teams that want to own their audience and domain. Its main limitation is that it is not a full marketing automation tool. Segmentation is limited to free, paid, tier, and label filters. There is no built-in A/B testing or SMS, and email delivery runs through Mailgun.
Our Rating
Who Ghost is best for
Good fit
Individual writers can run a branded newsletter and paid membership site from the low-cost Starter or Publisher plans.
Affordable plans combine a website, blog, and newsletter, though marketing automation is basic.
Less suited
Works well for content marketing and a company blog with API access, but it lacks a CRM and advanced campaign tools.
The Custom plan adds SSO, an uptime SLA, and a dedicated IP, but the product is built mainly for publishers.
Strong for content publishing, but limited segmentation and no A/B testing restrict campaign marketing.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Ghost takes no percentage of membership revenue, unlike Substack's 10% fee, so publishers pay only the plan price and Stripe fees.
- Website, newsletter, and paid memberships work together without plugins.
- The open-source core can be self-hosted for free, and APIs and webhooks support custom builds.
- More than 100 listed integrations, including Zapier, Stripe, Mailchimp, and privacy-focused analytics tools.
Cons
- Email features are basic: segmentation is limited and there is no built-in A/B testing or SMS.
- Email delivery depends on Mailgun, which users say can be costly or unreliable when self-hosting.
- Lower plans get email-only support with no weekend coverage, and Trustpilot reviews complain about billing and refunds.
- The Starter plan excludes paid subscriptions, custom themes, and integrations.
Key Features
Ghost Pricing
Business
- 10 newsletters
- 15 staff users
- Priority support
- 250MB maximum file size
- 10 premium tiers and 50 special offers
- Up to 10,000 members per comparison table
Custom
- SSO
- Dedicated IP
- Account manager
- Invoice billing
- 99.9% uptime SLA
- Unlimited staff users, members, and newsletters
Publisher
- 3 newsletters
- 3 staff users
- Custom themes
- Advanced analytics
- Up to 1,000 members
- Custom sending domain
- Paid subscriptions and tips
- Zapier, webhooks, and Admin API
- 3 premium tiers and 15 special offers
Starter
- 1 newsletter
- 1 staff user
- Email support
- Default theme only
- Up to 1,000 members
- 5MB maximum file size
- No paid subscriptions
Frequently Asked Questions
No. Ghost charges a flat plan fee, and payments go through your own Stripe account.
Yes. The core software is open source and free, but you pay for hosting and need a Mailgun account to send newsletters.
Paid subscriptions and tips start on the Publisher plan. The Starter plan does not include them.
Only on the Custom plan, which also includes a 99.9% uptime SLA, a dedicated IP, and an account manager.
Ghost lists more than 100 integrations, including Zapier, Stripe, Shopify, Mailchimp, and Google Analytics. Zapier, webhooks, and the Admin API require the Publisher plan or higher.
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