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| {{Community_Page}}
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| {{CMS_Infobox | | {{CMS_Infobox |
| | name = Ghost | | | name = Ghost |
| | status = Community | | | developer = Ghost Foundation |
| | type = Blogging / Headless CMS | | | type = Headless CMS / Blogging Platform |
| | license = MIT | | | license = MIT License |
| | language = Node.js (JavaScript) | | | language = Node.js (JavaScript) |
| | database = MySQL / SQLite | | | released = 2013-05-06 |
| | latest_ver = 5.x | | | latest_version = 5.x |
| | release_date = September 17, 2013
| | | website = https://ghost.org |
| | website = https://ghost.org | | | github = https://github.com/TryGhost/Ghost |
| | github = https://github.com/TryGhost/Ghost | | | stars = 46,000+ |
| | demo = https://ghost.org/pricing/ | |
| }} | | }} |
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| '''Ghost''' is a free, open-source content management system ([[CMS]]) written in [[JavaScript]] and designed for professional publishing, journalism, blogging, and newsletter distribution. Launched in 2013 following a successful Kickstarter campaign, Ghost was created as a modern, lightweight alternative to legacy platforms like [[WordPress]]. It is maintained by the non-profit Ghost Foundation and funded entirely through its commercial managed hosting service, Ghost(Pro). | | '''Ghost''' is a free and open-source headless content management system built on [[Node.js]], designed for professional publishers, newsletters, and membership-based content businesses. |
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| Ghost provides a clean, distraction-free writing interface alongside powerful native features for content monetization, audience management, email newsletter delivery, and search engine optimization ([[SEO]]). It can function both as a traditional monolithic CMS with integrated [[Handlebars.js]] templating or as a decoupled [[Headless CMS]] powered by a flexible [[REST API]].
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| == Overview == | | == Overview == |
| Ghost is engineered specifically for independent creators, publishers, news organizations, and online publications. Unlike general-purpose content management systems that rely heavily on complex third-party plugin ecosystems for core capabilities, Ghost incorporates essential publishing and monetization tools directly into its core application. | | Ghost was created by '''John O'Nolan''' following a successful Kickstarter campaign in 2013. The Ghost Foundation is a non-profit organization that maintains Ghost as open-source software. Ghost is natively built for writing and publishing, offering memberships, subscriptions, and paid newsletters directly out of the box. |
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| Key characteristics of Ghost include:
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| * '''Focus on Publishing:''' Built exclusively for writing, publishing, and content distribution without the bloat of multipurpose site builders.
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| * '''Native Monetization:''' Built-in support for paid memberships, recurring subscriptions, and gated content powered by [[Stripe]].
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| * '''Integrated Newsletters:''' Native email newsletter dispatch using [[Mailgun]] API integration, allowing creators to send posts directly to subscribers' inboxes.
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| * '''Headless Architecture:''' Fully accessible content via a high-performance, read-only Content API, enabling developers to build custom frontends with modern frameworks like [[Next.js]], [[Gatsby]], or [[Astro]].
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| * '''High Performance:''' Built on top of [[Node.js]], delivering exceptional page load speeds and API request response times compared to traditional [[PHP]]-based platforms.
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| == History ==
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| Ghost was conceived in November 2012 by John O'Nolan, former deputy head of the [[WordPress]] UI team. In a widely discussed blog post titled "Just a Publishing Platform", O'Nolan expressed frustration with WordPress's evolution from a simple blogging engine into a complex general-purpose CMS. He proposed creating a minimalist publishing tool focused solely on blogging and journalism.
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| The concept generated overwhelming interest across the developer and publishing communities. In April 2013, O'Nolan and co-founder Hannah Wolfe launched a [[Kickstarter]] crowdfunding campaign seeking £25,000 to fund initial development. The campaign reached its funding goal in just 11 hours and ultimately raised £196,362 from over 5,200 backers.
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| Key historical milestones include:
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| * '''September 2013:''' Ghost v0.3 (code-named "Kerouac") was officially released to Kickstarter backers as an open-source project under the [[MIT License]].
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| * '''January 2014:''' The Ghost Foundation launched Ghost(Pro), a fully managed platform-as-a-service (PaaS) offering, establishing a sustainable open-core business model without relying on venture capital.
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| * '''July 2017:''' Ghost 1.0 was released, introducing the Koenig editor (a rich card-based block editor), an overhauled admin UI, and automated database migrations.
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| * '''August 2019:''' Ghost 3.0 launched native membership and subscription features, transforming Ghost into an all-in-one platform for newsletter creators and subscription publishing.
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| * '''March 2021:''' Ghost 4.0 brought built-in membership analytics, customized newsletter design tools, unified portal features, and expanded native integrations.
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| * '''May 2022:''' Ghost 5.0 introduced custom subscription tiers, enhanced card editor options, performance optimizations, and expanded activity logging.
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| == Key Features == | | == Key Features == |
| | * '''Minimal Writing Interface''' — Clean, distraction-free Markdown and rich-text editor |
| | * '''Built-in Memberships''' — Native subscriber and membership management |
| | * '''Email Newsletters''' — Built-in email delivery to send posts to subscribers |
| | * '''Headless Architecture''' — Full Content API for decoupled front-ends |
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| === Membership & Subscriptions === | | == Installation == |
| Ghost features a native membership and subscription engine called Ghost Members. Site owners can offer free registration or configure paid subscription tiers. Deep integration with [[Stripe]] enables automated recurring billing, self-serve subscriber portals, upgrade workflows, and flexible content paywalls on specific posts or sections.
| | === Requirements === |
| | | * Node.js |
| === Newsletter Built-in === | | * Database Server |
| Ghost integrates directly with [[Mailgun]] to provide native email newsletter distribution. Publishers can compose content once in the Koenig editor and choose to publish it to the web, deliver it as an email newsletter, or both simultaneously. The system handles email list segmentation, open-rate analytics, click tracking, and automated unsubscribe processing.
| | * Server with at least 1 GB RAM |
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| === Headless Mode ===
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| Ghost operates natively as a modern [[Headless CMS]]. Developers can separate the backend management system from the frontend presentation layer. Content is served as clean JSON via the Ghost Content API, allowing seamless integration with static site generators, mobile apps, and custom web applications.
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| === Native SEO ===
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| Ghost eliminates the need for third-party SEO plugins by providing built-in search engine optimization features out of the box. Ghost automatically generates XML sitemaps, structured data ([[Schema.org]] JSON-LD markup), canonical tags, custom meta titles and descriptions, Open Graph metadata for [[Facebook]], and Twitter Cards.
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| === Speed & Performance ===
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| Built on [[Node.js]] with non-blocking asynchronous I/O architecture, Ghost serves content significantly faster than traditional PHP-based CMS platforms. Its lightweight asset delivery, native caching mechanisms, and efficient database query optimization allow Ghost sites to achieve outstanding Lighthouse and PageSpeed performance scores.
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| == Architecture ==
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| Ghost follows a modular architecture built entirely around [[Node.js]] and [[JavaScript]] technologies.
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| === Node.js Runtime & Application Core ===
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| The Ghost core backend is built on [[Node.js]] and [[Express.js]]. It handles routing, authentication, database ORM operations, background tasks (such as sending scheduled emails and webhooks), and API request routing. Ghost officially supports [[MySQL]] as its primary production database and [[SQLite]] for local development environments.
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| === Handlebars Themes ===
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| When used as a monolithic CMS, Ghost utilizes the [[Handlebars.js]] templating engine. Themes consist of HTML templates embedded with Handlebars helper tags (`{{title}}`, `{{content}}`, `{{#foreach posts}}`) to render dynamic content efficiently. Theme assets are validated using `gscan`, Ghost's official theme code validator.
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| === Admin API ===
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| The Ghost Admin API is a RESTful interface that provides full read and write access to administrative actions. Authenticated via session cookies or [[JSON Web Tokens]] (JWT), the Admin API manages site configuration, content creation, member management, custom integrations, media uploads, and user roles.
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| === Content API ===
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| The Ghost Content API is a read-only RESTful endpoint designed for high-speed public data fetching. It accepts requests via an API key and returns structured JSON responses containing posts, pages, tags, authors, and site settings. The Content API is cached heavily, making it ideal for edge deployment and Jamstack sites.
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| == Themes ==
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| Ghost themes control the visual presentation and frontend layout of websites.
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| * '''Handlebars Templating:''' Themes use standard HTML5 and Handlebars markup, keeping presentation code separated from database logic.
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| * '''Casper Default Theme:''' Ghost ships with "Casper", a clean, responsive, fully featured theme tailored for blogs and publications.
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| * '''Theme Marketplace:''' The official Ghost marketplace offers a wide selection of free and premium themes created by official design partners and community developers. | |
| * '''Custom Helpers:''' Ghost provides an extensive set of Handlebars helpers for dynamic features like responsive images (`{{img_url}}`), navigation menus (`{{navigation}}`), price formatting (`{{price}}`), and pagination (`{{pagination}}`). | |
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| == Membership & Subscriptions ==
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| Ghost's native membership ecosystem enables independent media creators to build sustainable subscription businesses.
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| === Built-in Membership ===
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| Visitors can sign up for free or paid accounts directly on the site using a passwordless magic-link authentication flow. Site administrators can categorize content access into distinct access levels: public, free members-only, or paid subscribers-only.
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| === Paid Newsletters ===
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| Publishers can create multiple newsletter channels tailored to specific audience segments or member tiers. Built-in email analytics display open rates, click-through rates, and subscriber growth trends directly within the Ghost Admin interface.
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| === Stripe Integration ===
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| Ghost integrates directly with [[Stripe]] Connect, allowing creators to collect recurring membership fees in global currencies. Unlike many proprietary SaaS publishing platforms, Ghost charges zero platform transaction fees on creator earnings, allowing publishers to retain 100% of revenue after payment processor fees.
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| == Ghost as Headless CMS ==
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| Ghost is widely adopted as a [[Headless CMS]] due to its decoupled architecture and fast JSON APIs.
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| === Content API SDKs ===
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| Ghost provides official JavaScript SDKs (`@tryghost/content-api`) that simplify fetching content inside modern single-page applications (SPAs) or static site builds.
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| === Modern Frontend Frameworks ===
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| Developers can pair Ghost with popular frontend frameworks and site builders:
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| * '''[[Next.js]]:''' Enables hybrid static site generation (SSG) and incremental static regeneration (ISR) powered by Ghost content.
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| * '''[[Gatsby]]:''' Integrates seamlessly using the official `gatsby-source-ghost` plugin to source content into GraphQL nodes during build time.
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| * '''[[Astro]] & [[Nuxt.js]]:''' Lightweight integrations using standard REST API calls to render ultra-fast static or server-rendered sites.
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| * '''Mobile & Native Apps:''' Powers iOS, Android, and desktop applications using Ghost as a decoupled content backend.
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| == Hosting == | | === Quick Start === |
| | The recommended way to install Ghost is by using the official CLI tool via Node Package Manager. It automates the setup of the server, database connection, and SSL certificates. |
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| === Ghost(Pro) Managed Hosting === | | == API Reference == |
| Ghost(Pro) is the official managed platform-as-a-service (PaaS) hosted by the Ghost Foundation. It offers automated updates, global [[CDN]] caching, managed [[Stripe]] and [[Mailgun]] infrastructure, daily offsite backups, enterprise security, and 99.9% uptime guarantees. Revenue generated from Ghost(Pro) directly funds open-source Ghost core development. | | Ghost provides a public read-only API and an authenticated Admin API. Both APIs can be accessed using standard HTTP requests or the official JavaScript SDKs. |
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| === Self-Hosted === | | == Pricing == |
| Ghost is fully open-source and can be self-hosted on custom cloud servers (VPS) running [[Ubuntu]] Linux. | | Self-hosted Ghost is free. The managed Ghost(Pro) hosting service starts at a monthly fee for automated hosting and updates. |
| * '''Ghost-CLI:''' An official command-line tool (`ghost-cli`) automates installation, [[Nginx]] web server configuration, [[SSL]] setup via [[Let's Encrypt]], [[Systemd]] service management, and database provisioning.
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| * '''Docker Deployment:''' Official [[Docker]] container images (`ghost:latest`) support deployment across container orchestrators such as [[Kubernetes]] or Cloud Run.
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| == Comparison with WordPress == | | == Pros & Cons == |
| Ghost and [[WordPress]] are leading platforms for web publishing, but they differ significantly in design philosophy, technology stack, and native functionality.
| | {| class="wikitable" |
| | | ! ✅ Pros !! ❌ Cons |
| {| class="wikitable" style="width:100%;" | |
| ! Feature !! Ghost !! WordPress | |
| |- | | |- |
| | '''Primary Focus''' || Independent publishing, blogs, newsletters || General-purpose CMS, business sites, e-commerce | | | Native membership & paid subscriptions || Smaller plugin ecosystem |
| |- | | |- |
| | '''Technology Stack''' || [[Node.js]], [[Express.js]], [[Handlebars.js]] || [[PHP]], [[MySQL]] | | | Built-in email newsletter delivery || Requires Node.js hosting |
| |- | | |- |
| | '''Monetization''' || Native membership & subscription paywalls || Requires third-party plugins (e.g. [[WooCommerce]], MemberPress) | | | Fast performance || No e-commerce built-in |
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| | '''Newsletter Delivery''' || Native [[Mailgun]] integration built-in || Requires third-party plugins (e.g. Mailchimp, ConvertKit)
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| |-
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| | '''Headless Capability''' || Native Content & Admin REST APIs || [[WordPress]] REST API or WPGraphQL plugin
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| |-
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| | '''Extensibility''' || Webhooks, REST API, custom themes || Plugins (60,000+ plugin ecosystem)
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| |-
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| | '''Performance''' || Fast default speed out of the box || Depends heavily on caching plugins & hosting setup
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| |-
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| | '''License''' || [[MIT License]] || [[GPL v2]]
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| |} | | |} |
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| == External Links == | | == External Links == |
| * [https://ghost.org Official Ghost Website] | | * [https://ghost.org Official Website] |
| * [https://github.com/TryGhost/Ghost Ghost GitHub Repository]
| | * [https://ghost.org/docs/ Documentation] |
| * [https://ghost.org/docs/ Ghost Official Documentation] | |
| * [https://ghost.org/themes/ Ghost Theme Marketplace]
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| * [https://ghost.org/integrations/ Ghost Native Integrations]
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| [[Category:CMS_Platforms]] | | [[Category:CMS_Platforms]] |
| [[Category:Blogging_CMS]] | | [[Category:Blogging_CMS]] |
| | [[Category:Open_Source_CMS]] |
| [[Category:Headless_CMS]] | | [[Category:Headless_CMS]] |
| [[Category:Open_Source_CMS]]
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| Ghost
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| Status
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🤝 Community
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| Type
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Headless CMS / Blogging Platform
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| License
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MIT License
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| Language
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Node.js (JavaScript)
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| Database
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| Latest Version
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| Release Date
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| Website
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Official Site
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| GitHub
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Repository
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Ghost is a free and open-source headless content management system built on Node.js, designed for professional publishers, newsletters, and membership-based content businesses.
Overview
Ghost was created by John O'Nolan following a successful Kickstarter campaign in 2013. The Ghost Foundation is a non-profit organization that maintains Ghost as open-source software. Ghost is natively built for writing and publishing, offering memberships, subscriptions, and paid newsletters directly out of the box.
Key Features
- Minimal Writing Interface — Clean, distraction-free Markdown and rich-text editor
- Built-in Memberships — Native subscriber and membership management
- Email Newsletters — Built-in email delivery to send posts to subscribers
- Headless Architecture — Full Content API for decoupled front-ends
Installation
Requirements
- Node.js
- Database Server
- Server with at least 1 GB RAM
Quick Start
The recommended way to install Ghost is by using the official CLI tool via Node Package Manager. It automates the setup of the server, database connection, and SSL certificates.
API Reference
Ghost provides a public read-only API and an authenticated Admin API. Both APIs can be accessed using standard HTTP requests or the official JavaScript SDKs.
Pricing
Self-hosted Ghost is free. The managed Ghost(Pro) hosting service starts at a monthly fee for automated hosting and updates.
Pros & Cons
| ✅ Pros |
❌ Cons
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| Native membership & paid subscriptions |
Smaller plugin ecosystem
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| Built-in email newsletter delivery |
Requires Node.js hosting
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| Fast performance |
No e-commerce built-in
|
External Links
