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Ghost

Open-source publishing platform for blogs, memberships, subscriptions and newsletters.

GitHub Download v6.73.0
Stars
55.7k
Forks
12.1k
Licence
MIT
Language
TypeScript
Last update
4 days ago
Type
App

What it is

Ghost is a free, open-source publishing system for running a website, blog or newsletter. It handles writing and publishing content, and the README also describes memberships and subscriptions. The project is built with Node.js and is offered as a self-hosted install or as the managed Ghost(Pro) service.

  • Run a self-hosted blog or newsletter site on your own machine with the local install command
  • Set up a production site on a server with the full install command, which the README says includes automatic SSL via LetsEncrypt
  • Build custom themes using the documented theme development guides
  • Connect your site to other tools through the Content API

Great for

  • Writers or publishers who want to run their own blog or newsletter site
  • Developers who want a Node.js-based headless CMS to serve content through an API
  • People who want to self-host and control their own publishing setup
  • Teams that would rather pay for a managed service (Ghost(Pro)) than run servers

Not ideal for

  • People who want a no-setup, point-and-click site with no server work and no interest in managed hosting (Ghost(Pro) is the README's simpler option, but it is a paid service)
  • Anyone looking for a general-purpose website builder unrelated to publishing; Ghost is focused on content and memberships
  • Beginners who do not want to use a terminal, since the README's install path uses the command line
Step-by-step guide: how to use GhostInstall, first run, examples, tips and FAQs
Ghost vs JekyllEmDash vs Ghost

How to get it

  1. 1

    Install with a package manager

    You'll need: Node.js (version not specified in the provided README)

    Install the Ghost CLI globally

    npm install ghost-cli -g

    Install a local instance

    ghost install local

    Full install on a server (includes SSL setup)

    ghost install
  2. 2

    Run it

    • Install the Ghost CLI with npm install ghost-cli -g
    • Run ghost install local for a local instance
    • Open the local site and admin area as described in the local install docs
    • Read the official docs at docs.ghost.org for themes and the API
  3. 3

    Get the most out of it

    • Use the official docs for recommended hosting and upgrade steps
    • Build or customize themes using the theme documentation
    • Use the Content API to pull content into other applications
    • Join the Ghost forum for community help

Downloads

Source code (.zip)main branch · straight from GitHubRelease v6.73.01 files incl. ghost-6.73.0.tgzOfficial website & docsghost.org

Strengths

  • Open source under the MIT license, so you can inspect, modify and self-host it
  • The README points to official docs, a community forum and a CLI for install and upgrades
  • Actively maintained, with a recent release (v6.73.0) and a recent push to the repository

Trade-offs

  • Self-hosting requires comfort with the command line, Node.js and server setup
  • The README notes that the managed Ghost(Pro) service is the easiest route and is paid, so the free path takes more work
  • The README is truncated here, so detailed system requirements and feature lists could not be fully verified

How it compares

ProjectStarsTypeLevelUpdatedBest for
Ghost (this)55.7kAppintermediate4 days agoWriters or publishers who want to run their own blog or newsletter site
jekyll51.7kDev toolintermediate23 days agoDevelopers who want a blog or simple website built from plain text files
tailwind-nextjs-starter-blog10.6kOtherintermediate9 months agoDevelopers who want a blog built on Next.js and Tailwind CSS
gridea10.2kAppbeginner3.3 years agoBloggers who want to own their content as plain static files
decap-cms19.5kAppintermediate5 days agoTeams that want non-developers to edit content on a static site
grav15.7kAppintermediate4 days agoDevelopers who want a PHP website without running a database

Stats synced from GitHub. The assessment above was drafted with AI from the project's README on 2026-10-29 and may miss recent changes — check the README before relying on a command. MIT licence: free to use, modify and distribute, including commercially, as long as you keep the copyright notice.