Best Newsletter Platforms · pricing · Updated June 2026
Ghost pricing (2026)
Ghost starts at $0/mo (Self-hosted (open source)), across 5 plans. Best for independent publishers. Every figure links to Ghost's own page and the date we captured it.
At a glance
- Entry price: $0/mo (Self-hosted (open source))
- Free tier: Yes · 14-day trial
- Compliance: HIPAA — · SOC 2 — · GDPR —
- Best for: independent publishers; membership sites; editorial teams; developers wanting open-source control
Ghost plans & pricing
| Plan | Monthly | Annual | Billing | Notes | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Self-hosted (open source) | $0 | — | flat | Ghost CMS is MIT-licensed open source. Self-hosted on your own infrastructure at no license cost. Requires server, domain, and email sending setup (not managed by Ghost). | ghost.org |
| Starter | $18 | −17% | flat | 1,000 members, 1 staff user, 1 email newsletter, no paid subscriptions, no custom themes. $18/mo monthly billing; $15/mo billed annually. 14-day free trial, no credit card required. | ghost.org |
| Publisher | $35 | −17% | flat | 1,000 members, 3 staff users, 3 email newsletters, paid subscriptions enabled, custom themes, 8,000+ integrations. $35/mo monthly billing; $29/mo billed annually. 14-day free trial. | ghost.org |
| Business | $239 | −17% | flat | 10,000 members, 15 staff users, 10 email newsletters, paid subscriptions, premium tiers, special offers, priority support. $239/mo monthly billing; $199/mo billed annually. 14-day free trial. | ghost.org |
| Custom | Quote-only | — | custom | Unlimited members and staff users, dedicated IP, 99.9% uptime SLA, SSO authentication. Contact sales for pricing (no published price). | ghost.org |
Last verified 2026-06-18. Fetched ghost.org/pricing/ on 2026-06-18; annual prices ($15 Starter / $29 Publisher / $199 Business) and monthly-billing prices ($18 / $35 / $239) confirmed, corroborated via Ghost forum thread on the July 2025 pricing update. Ghost is also available self-hosted for free (MIT open source). There is no forever-free Ghost(Pro) HOSTED plan — only a 14-day trial; the $0 entry is the self-hosted option. Cross-checked against forum.ghost.org.
Capabilities
Integrations: Zapier, Stripe, Slack, Google Analytics, FirstPromoter, Memberful.
Key features: 0% transaction fee on paid memberships (all Ghost Pro plans); Open-source self-hosted option at no license cost; Custom themes and full design control on Publisher+; Built-in membership and paid subscription management.
Plan limits: 1,000 members on Starter and Publisher; 10,000 members on Business; 1 staff user on Starter; No forever-free hosted plan (Ghost Pro is 14-day trial; $0 is self-hosted only).
Frequently asked questions
How much does Ghost cost?
Ghost starts at $0/mo (Self-hosted (open source)); it has 5 published plans. Verified 2026-06-18.
Is Ghost cheaper billed annually?
Yes. Ghost publishes a 17% discount for paying annually (on the Starter plan). Verified 2026-06-18.
What are cheaper alternatives to Ghost?
Cheaper newsletter platforms than Ghost (entry $0/mo) include MailerLite at $12/mo. Verified 2026-06-18.
Does Ghost support HIPAA?
Ghost HIPAA support: —. SOC 2: —. GDPR: —.
Does Ghost have a free plan?
Ghost free tier: Yes; 14-day free trial.
Ghost vs alternatives
Compare all newsletter platforms → · Ghost alternatives → · Open data · MCP
Cheaper newsletter platforms alternatives
- MailerLite from $12/mo