The best open source blog & newsletter platform
Ghost is an open-source publishing platform focused on professional blogging and membership sites. Built by former WordPress deputy head of design John O'Nolan, it features built-in newsletters, membership/paywall functionality, and Stripe integration. Can be self-hosted for free or used via Ghost(Pro) managed hosting.
Patterns extracted from real user feedback — not raw reviews.
Ghost(Pro) starts at $15/month ($180/year) for just 1,000 members, scaling to $29/month for Publisher and $199/month for Business. Compared to Substack's free-until-paid model or beehiiv's generous free tier, Ghost's upfront costs are significant. Small creators feel priced out before building an audience.
Ghost's terms state no refunds for cancellations. While they offer goodwill refunds for the current month, users who haven't used the platform feel this is inadequate. Billing complaints and partial refund stories appear in Trustpilot reviews.
Ghost's 14-day trial isn't clearly communicated as leading to site deletion if not converted to paid. Some users report being surprised their content was deleted when they didn't upgrade, feeling the trial terms weren't transparent.
Customizing Ghost beyond basic colors requires HTML and CSS knowledge. The theme marketplace is tiny (92 themes, only 15 free) compared to WordPress's thousands. Non-technical users find themselves stuck with templates or paying developers for changes that would be easy in other platforms.
Ghost only supports Mailgun for bulk newsletter emails. Users preferring SendGrid, Amazon SES, or other providers have no option. For self-hosted instances, Mailgun integration adds complexity and cost. The lack of email provider choice feels arbitrarily restrictive.
Ghost doesn't support e-commerce beyond paid memberships. No shopping cart, product sales, or inventory management. Users wanting to sell products need Snipcart or similar integrations, adding complexity. It's purely a publishing platform.
Ghost(Pro) basic tier only gets Monday-Friday email support - no weekends. When issues arise, responses feel dismissive with generic, canned answers. Users report feeling like they're on their own past easy stuff. Site problems on weekends mean waiting until Monday for help.
Ghost's JSON export feature breaks under pressure. Sites with thousands of posts can generate 150MB+ export files that fail to import into new installations. Long-term users with large sites face significant challenges when migrating or restoring backups.
Ghost lacks a proper media library - users can't browse, organize, or reuse uploaded images easily. For sites with thousands of posts, managing media becomes a nightmare. This has been requested for years but remains unaddressed, frustrating long-term users.
Ghost is focused purely on blogging and publishing. It lacks features for building full websites - no custom pages, limited content types, no e-commerce beyond memberships. Users expecting WordPress-style flexibility find Ghost too narrow for their needs.
Ghost is oriented toward English-speaking audiences. While themes can be translated, the portal (member-facing UI) and email templates cannot be easily translated. Non-English publishers face significant friction that platforms like WordPress handle better.
Ghost's built-in analytics show only the last 90 days of data. There's no way to see historical trends beyond this window. Users wanting comprehensive analytics must integrate third-party tools like Google Analytics or Plausible, adding complexity.
Self-hosting Ghost is not beginner-friendly. It requires Linux server management, Node.js configuration, database setup, and ongoing maintenance. Users without DevOps experience struggle, and the 'free' self-host option has hidden complexity costs.
Exceptionally fast page loads
Ghost sites load significantly faster than WordPress. Users consistently mention being surprised by the speed difference. The lightweight architecture and focus on publishing means minimal bloat. Great Core Web Vitals scores out of the box.
Beautiful, focused writing experience
Ghost's editor is distraction-free and designed for writers. Clean Markdown support, minimal UI, and fast publishing workflow. Writers love the experience compared to WordPress's Gutenberg or other platforms. The focus on writing shows in every detail.
Built-in memberships and newsletters
Memberships, paid subscriptions, and email newsletters are native - no plugins needed. Stripe integration for payments, tiered access levels, and email sending included. For membership sites, Ghost provides a complete solution out of the box.
Native SEO without plugins
Ghost includes SEO best practices by default - structured data, meta tags, sitemaps, and clean URLs. No SEO plugins to configure or maintain. Sites are well-positioned to rank without technical overhead that WordPress requires.
No plugin management overhead
Unlike WordPress with its endless plugins, most Ghost features are built-in. No plugin conflicts, security vulnerabilities from third-party code, or maintenance headaches. The simplicity is refreshing for those tired of WordPress complexity.
Powerful headless CMS capabilities
Ghost's Content API enables headless usage - build custom frontends with any technology while using Ghost for content management. Technical users praise the API flexibility. Great for developers building on modern stacks like Next.js.
Users: Unlimited
Storage: Depends on host
Limitations: Requires technical skills, server management, and ongoing maintenance. Mailgun setup required for newsletters.
Users: 1 staff
Storage: Limited
Limitations: 1,000 members max, 1 staff only, Monday-Friday email support, 90-day analytics only
Users: 3 staff
Storage: Standard
Limitations: 1,000 members included, Mailgun-only emails, Limited theme marketplace
Users: 15 staff
Storage: Large
Limitations: 1,000 members base, Expensive for small publishers, Significant price jump from Publisher
Users: Custom
Storage: Custom
Limitations: Pricing not transparent, Minimum subscriber requirements, Annual commitments
Independent writers and journalists
Ghost excels for focused writing and publishing. The distraction-free editor, built-in newsletters, and membership features make it ideal for writers building sustainable independent publishing businesses. Fast sites and native SEO help reach readers.
Newsletter creators monetizing content
Built-in paid subscriptions, tiered access, and email newsletters with Stripe integration. Own your audience without platform fees (unlike Substack's 10%). Good choice for creators wanting independence and ownership.
Technical users wanting headless CMS
Ghost's Content API enables powerful headless setups. Build custom frontends with Next.js, Gatsby, or any framework while Ghost handles content. Developers praise the clean API and flexibility for modern web architecture.
Media organizations and publications
Ghost powers major publications. The Business and Enterprise tiers offer proper team support, priority help, and scale. Publications benefit from the focused publishing workflow, speed, and membership monetization native to Ghost.
Budget-conscious creators just starting
Ghost(Pro) at $15/month is expensive before building an audience. Substack is free until paid subscribers. Beehiiv offers 2,500 free subscribers. Self-hosting Ghost saves money but adds complexity. Consider alternatives until audience justifies the cost.
Non-English publishers
Ghost is English-focused. Themes can be translated but the member portal and email templates are harder to localize. WordPress with WPML or dedicated localization has better international support. Evaluate your localization needs carefully.
Beginners without technical skills
Ghost(Pro) is simpler but customization requires code knowledge. Self-hosting demands Linux/Node.js expertise. WordPress with hand-holding plugins is friendlier. Ghost's simplicity has a technical floor that frustrates non-developers.
Full-featured website builders
Ghost is purely for publishing - no custom page types, limited layouts, no e-commerce beyond memberships. Users wanting full websites need WordPress, Webflow, or dedicated site builders. Ghost won't grow into a full CMS.
Common buyer's remorse scenarios reported by users.
Creators signed up for Ghost(Pro) excited to publish, but $15-29/month adds up when you have few subscribers. Substack's free-until-paid or beehiiv's free tier would have been better for the growth phase. Money spent on platform before audience existed.
Users expected visual customization but found Ghost requires HTML/CSS for changes beyond basics. The small theme marketplace didn't have what they needed. Paying developers for simple changes that WordPress handles with plugins.
Site problems on weekends or complex issues got dismissive responses. Users waited days for help that didn't resolve problems. Lost revenue and readers during downtime that better support could have prevented.
Technical users attempted self-hosting to save money but underestimated ongoing maintenance. Server updates, security, Mailgun configuration, and troubleshooting consumed significant time. Total cost approached or exceeded Ghost(Pro).
Users wanted to add e-commerce, custom pages, or advanced features. Ghost's publishing focus became a limitation. Migration to WordPress or full website platforms required rebuilding content and losing momentum.
Long-term users with thousands of posts found export files too large to import. Moving to new hosting or recovering from issues became nightmares. Years of content trapped in a platform that couldn't handle the export.
Publishers serving non-English audiences found Ghost's English-centric design limiting. Member portal and emails couldn't be properly translated. Audience confusion and professional appearance suffered.
Scenarios where this product tends to fail users.
Business growth requires e-commerce, custom page types, or advanced functionality. Ghost's publishing focus becomes a limitation. Migration to WordPress or other platforms means rebuilding everything.
Design changes beyond basic themes require HTML/CSS knowledge. Small theme marketplace doesn't have what you need. Either learn to code, hire developers, or accept design limitations.
Starter tier has Monday-Friday only support. Site problems on Saturday mean waiting until Monday. Revenue loss and reader frustration during extended downtime that premium support could have prevented.
Sites with thousands of posts generate export files too large to import. Migration or recovery becomes extremely difficult. Years of content potentially trapped with no clean exit path.
Technical maintenance, security updates, Mailgun configuration, and troubleshooting consume significant time. The 'free' self-host option has hidden complexity that may exceed Ghost(Pro) value.
Business requires SendGrid, Amazon SES, or other email providers. Ghost's Mailgun-only limitation forces workarounds or prevents use entirely. No flexibility for email infrastructure preferences.
Ghost(Pro)'s $15-29/month adds up when you have few subscribers. Paying for platform before audience justifies cost. Substack or beehiiv's free tiers would have been more appropriate for growth phase.
Non-English publishers struggle with Ghost's English-centric design. Member portal and email templates resist translation. Professional appearance suffers for non-English audiences.
Substack
Creators wanting simpler monetization switch to Substack for zero upfront cost and built-in audience discovery. Gain: free until paid subscribers, network effects, simpler setup. Trade-off: 10% platform fee, less design control, don't own your platform.
beehiiv
Newsletter creators switch to beehiiv for growth tools and generous free tier. Gain: 2,500 free subscribers, referral programs, recommendations network. Trade-off: newsletter-focused, less website/blog capability than Ghost.
WordPress
Users needing full websites switch to WordPress for unlimited flexibility. Gain: 60,000+ plugins, any feature imaginable, massive ecosystem. Trade-off: slower, more maintenance, security concerns, steeper learning curve.
Medium
Writers wanting built-in audience switch to Medium for distribution. Gain: existing readership, no technical setup, partner program monetization. Trade-off: no ownership, algorithm dependency, less control.
Webflow
Publishers wanting design control switch to Webflow for visual building. Gain: pixel-perfect design, CMS flexibility, no code needed for design. Trade-off: no native newsletters/memberships, steeper learning curve, more expensive.
Buttondown
Minimalist newsletter creators switch to Buttondown for simplicity. Gain: Markdown-native, developer-friendly, simple pricing. Trade-off: less feature-rich, smaller ecosystem, primarily newsletter-focused.
