Ghost

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about Ghost, answered by our editorial team.

Is Ghost free?

The Ghost software itself is free and open-source if self-hosted. The official hosted version starts at $9/month for Starter (up to 500 members), scaling to $25/month for Creator with more members and custom theming.

Does Ghost take a cut of subscription revenue?

Self-hosted Ghost takes no platform cut at all of subscription revenue, a meaningful difference from Substack, which takes a percentage of paid subscriber income. The official hosted Ghost(Pro) plans charge a flat subscription fee rather than a revenue percentage, which can also work out more favorably than a revenue cut at meaningful subscriber scale.

Is Ghost better than Substack?

Ghost offers more control, no revenue-share cut (especially self-hosted), and a more focused, customizable publishing platform, while Substack offers a simpler, fully managed all-in-one experience with built-in audience discovery — the better fit depends on whether creators prioritize revenue retention and control or Substack's network effects and simplicity.

Do I need technical skills to use Ghost?

Only if self-hosting, which requires server setup and maintenance. The official hosted Ghost(Pro) plans work like a standard SaaS product requiring no technical setup, while sacrificing the cost advantages of fully self-managed hosting.

Is Ghost good for newsletters?

Yes, this is one of Ghost's core use cases — built-in email newsletter delivery, paid subscription/membership management, and a focused writing editor are all designed specifically around the newsletter and publication use case rather than general website building.

Is Ghost open-source?

Yes, Ghost's core software is open-source, meaning the code is publicly available and self-hostable, providing both cost savings at scale and independence from any single company's continued existence or business decisions.

Does Ghost support membership tiers?

Yes, Ghost includes built-in support for free and paid membership tiers, letting publications offer different content access levels to different subscriber types without needing a separate third-party membership management tool.

Is there a free or open-source alternative to Ghost?

Yes. WordPress is a free alternative to Ghost that covers most of the same core use cases at no licensing cost. See our full comparison below for feature-by-feature differences before switching.

What is a referral bonus on Kreemhunt?

A referral bonus is an incentive — like bonus credit, a discount, or extra features — that a software vendor offers when someone signs up through a referral link or code instead of going to the product directly. Kreemhunt tracks which of the tools we cover currently have an active referral arrangement, like Ghost, so you don't have to hunt for one yourself.

Does Ghost currently have a referral code or link?

Not at the moment. Kreemhunt doesn't have a tracked referral code or link for Ghost right now — this page will update automatically if one becomes available, so it's worth checking back before you sign up.

Does using a referral link cost me anything extra?

No. Using a referral link or code to sign up for Ghost costs the same as signing up directly — in most cases referral programs are designed so the new user gets a bonus and the referrer gets a reward, with no markup passed on to you.

How do I claim Ghost's referral bonus?

There's no active referral bonus for Ghost tracked on Kreemhunt right now. Once one becomes available, it'll appear in the referral box on this page along with instructions for claiming it.