Ghost
Ghost Foundation
Own your publication: open source, 0% fees on memberships.
Price
From $9/mo · Free version available
Last checked
June 2026
Best for
Independent publishers
Category
For creators
About Ghost
Ghost is a complete publishing platform with newsletters built in: your website, blog, newsletter, and paid memberships all live in one open source product. Unlike Substack, Ghost takes 0% of your membership revenue; you pay a flat hosting fee instead. You can even self-host it for free if you are technical. The trade-off is more setup than beehiiv or Substack and no built-in discovery network. For writers who want full ownership, nothing is more independent.
“A full publishing platform with newsletters built in, open source, and 0% fees on paid memberships. For writers who want to own their website and their list, the most independent option there is.”Editorial team, via MailShortlist
Where to get it
From $9/mo
Sign up directly with the provider.
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