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Ghost

by Ghost

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Ghost's own site

What Ghost is

Ghost is an open-source blog and newsletter platform for creators, publishers, businesses, and developers. It combines publishing tools with SEO features, editorial workflows, analytics, multilingual content, memberships, and CSV export. Publishers can send email newsletters, including multiple newsletters for different audiences, and offer free or paid memberships with monthly or yearly tiers. The editor supports galleries, GIFs, video, audio, products, files, and bookmarks. Ghost connects with services including Stripe, Zapier, Slack, YouTube, Google Analytics, and GitHub. Custom domains and theme customization are available. The web-based service has paid plans starting at $18 a month billed yearly and offers a 14-day trial rather than a permanent free plan. Starter includes 1,000 members, one staff user, and a 5 MB upload limit. Ghost says it charges no platform fee on publication revenue, though payment processor fees still apply. Ghost(Pro) includes DDoS mitigation, a web application firewall, brute-force protection, and rate limiting; all plans include device verification and email-based two-factor authentication.

Who it suits

Ghost suits creators, publishers, businesses, and developers who want to publish a blog or newsletter with membership options. It can also serve teams needing editorial workflows or multiple newsletters.

What it does well

  • Supports free and paid memberships
  • Includes built-in email newsletters
  • Offers custom domains and theme customization
  • No Ghost platform fee on publication revenue

What to know first

  • No permanent free plan
  • Starter limits uploads to 5 MB
  • Payment processor fees still apply

Limits

There is no permanent free plan. Starter costs $18 a month billed yearly and includes 1,000 members, one staff user, and a 5 MB file upload limit; Publisher and Business increase staff capacity and upload limits. Payment processor fees still apply even though Ghost charges 0% platform fee.

Plans

PlanBilled and limitsPrice
StarterBilled yearly · 1,000 members · 1 staff user · 5 MB file upload limit$18 a month
PublisherBilled yearly · 1,000 members · 3 staff users · 100 MB file upload limit$29 a month
BusinessBilled yearly · 1,000 members · 15 staff users · 250 MB file upload limit$199 a month
CustomUnlimited members · Unlimited staff usersOn request

As ghost.org lists them, read 27 Sept 2026. The maker's own page has the final word.

Getting started

  1. Open the Ghost website
  2. Choose a paid plan or begin the 14-day trial
  3. Select the web-based Ghost(Pro) service
  4. Configure a custom domain if needed
  5. Create posts, newsletters, memberships, and publication content
  6. Connect services such as Stripe, Zapier, Slack, YouTube, Google Analytics, or GitHub

Verdict

Ghost brings publishing, newsletters, memberships, and editorial tools into one platform. It offers a trial but no permanent free plan, and publication revenue may still incur processor fees.

Questions

Does Ghost have a free plan?

Ghost offers a 14-day trial but no permanent free plan.

How much does Ghost Starter cost?

Starter costs $18 a month, billed yearly.

Which platforms does Ghost support?

Ghost is available on the web.

Can Ghost handle paid memberships?

Yes. Ghost supports free and paid memberships with monthly and yearly premium tiers, plus subscription billing.

Does Ghost charge transaction fees?

Ghost charges a 0% Ghost fee on publication revenue. Payment processor fees still apply.

What integrations does Ghost offer?

Ghost connects with Stripe, Zapier, Slack, YouTube, Google Analytics, and GitHub.

Facts from Ghost's own pages

Account Security
All plans include device verification and email-based two-factor authentication. · ghost.org, 27 Sept 2026
Company Funding
Ghost is independent and funded entirely by its users, without investors. · ghost.org, 27 Sept 2026
Content gating
post · ghost.org, 21 Sept 2026
Custom Domain
Ghost(Pro) includes a free ghost.io subdomain and supports custom domains. · ghost.org, 27 Sept 2026
Domain Promotion
Ghost(Pro) includes one year of free .link domain registration. · ghost.org, 27 Sept 2026
Founded
2013 · ghost.org, 23 Sept 2026
Free plan
No · ghost.org, 21 Sept 2026
Free Tier Limit
The page describes a free trial, not a permanent free plan. · ghost.org, 27 Sept 2026
Free Trial
Ghost offers a completely free 14-day trial. · ghost.org, 27 Sept 2026
Headquarters
Singapore · ghost.org, 23 Sept 2026
App Integrations
Ghost connects with services including Stripe, Zapier, Slack, YouTube, Google Analytics, and GitHub. · ghost.org, 27 Sept 2026
Member limit
1000 · ghost.org, 21 Sept 2026
Built-in Newsletters
Ghost includes email newsletters and supports multiple newsletters based on audience preference. · ghost.org, 27 Sept 2026
Open Source Platform
Ghost is an open source blog and newsletter platform for professional publishers. · ghost.org, 27 Sept 2026
Payment Fees
Ghost states that publications earn revenue with 0% payment fees; processor fees still apply. · ghost.org, 27 Sept 2026
Primary Audience
It serves creators, publishers, businesses, and developers. · ghost.org, 27 Sept 2026
Rich Media
The editor supports galleries, GIFs, video, audio, products, files, bookmarks, and more. · ghost.org, 27 Sept 2026
Security Protection
Ghost(Pro) includes DDoS mitigation, a web application firewall, brute-force protection, and rate limiting. · ghost.org, 27 Sept 2026
Paid from
18 · ghost.org, 21 Sept 2026
Subscription billing
both · ghost.org, 21 Sept 2026
Paid Subscriptions
Ghost supports free and paid memberships with monthly and yearly premium tiers. · ghost.org, 27 Sept 2026
Support Options
Support varies by plan and includes product help, email support, priority support, and account management. · ghost.org, 27 Sept 2026
Team Management
Paid plans support staff users, with unlimited staff users on Custom. · ghost.org, 27 Sept 2026
Transaction fee
0% Ghost fee; payment processor fees apply · ghost.org, 21 Sept 2026

Where Ghost stands on Freedom251

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