Gh Ghost
Open-source publishing platform with newsletters, memberships, and paid subscriptions, self-hosted or managed.
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Ghost is an open-source publisher that combines a blog, newsletter, and membership business with native Stripe integration. Ghost(Pro) managed hosting starts around $9/mo and takes 0% of subscription revenue beyond Stripe fees. Writers can also self-host for free and retain full data ownership.
Our take
Ghost is the self-hostable, fully-owned alternative to Substack and Beehiiv — 0% platform cut, open-source code, custom domain, your own design. The catch is it's more operator-heavy: you're running the site, the payments integration (Stripe), and the design. Best for: writers who care about ownership and SEO, operate under their own brand, and have the technical comfort (or budget) to run a CMS. Skip if: you want everything handled for you and don't mind paying for the convenience — Substack will feel simpler.
Pros and cons
Pros
- Zero platform fee on subscription revenue
- Open-source with self-hosting option
- Full data and email list ownership
- Native Stripe memberships and tiers
Cons
- Monthly hosting fee regardless of earnings
- Self-hosting requires technical setup
- No built-in sponsor or ad marketplace
Full breakdown
- Platform fee
- from $9/mo · monthly subscription
- Payout speed
- instant
- Minimum payout
- $0
- Countries supported
- Stripe-supported
- Email list export
- Full access
- Custom domain
- Yes
- Community features
- Comments, paid tiers, member signups