Ghost.org - a modern platform, full control, and open source too — a free tool for creators. Let's take a look.

What is Ghost?

Ghost is a blogging and newsletter platform created for creators, publishers, and businesses. Founded in 2013, the project is non-profit — revenue from paid hosting is reinvested in software development. Ghost is released under the MIT license, which means full transparency and the ability to self-host. Creators can choose self-hosting (installation on their own server) or use the ready-made, paid Ghost(Pro) hosting.

The platform was designed as a simple, modern content management system focused on publishing. Its creators built it out of frustration with the growing complexity of other CMSs. Ghost focuses on blogging and newsletters — providing a clean editor and a configuration-free architecture, while offering the ability to extend and customize through APIs and open source code.

Key features of Ghost

- Full control over appearance — thanks to the theme system and simple settings, you can quickly customize your site to match your brand. Ghost offers hundreds of themes and the ability to build custom templates.
- Advanced editorial tools — the Koenig editor lets you create content using dynamic cards (photo galleries, videos, audio, polls, HTML elements), making it easy to create engaging posts. Markdown support and live preview make writing fast and convenient.
- Newsletters and membership — Ghost has built-in registration forms, member management, and paid subscription support. Creators can set up free and paid plans, send personalized newsletters, and segment audiences.
- Commission-free monetization — the platform does not charge fees on revenue. Income goes directly to the creator's Stripe account, and Ghost earns solely from hosting subscriptions. As a result, costs are limited to Stripe payment processing fees (approx. 2.9%) and the subscription if using Ghost(Pro).
- Integrated SEO and analytics — Ghost generates XML sitemaps, structured data, supports Twitter Cards and Open Graph, and no additional plugins are needed for optimization. The admin panel includes statistics on user activity, revenue, and engagement.
- Integrations and open API — Ghost supports thousands of integrations (including Stripe, Mailchimp, Zapier, Discourse, Slack). With the REST API and Node.js technology, you can easily build custom extensions or use Ghost as a headless CMS.
- Speed and security — Ghost uses a modern tech stack (Node.js, Express, Handlebars) and is optimized for performance; tests have shown it can be up to 19 times faster than WordPress. All Ghost(Pro) installations run with SSL certificates, global CDN, and WAF firewall, while self-hosting gives full access to configuration and code.

Ghost vs WordPress and Substack — what sets this platform apart?

Ghost is often compared to WordPress and Substack. In its official comparison with WordPress, Ghost offers native SEO, membership, paid subscriptions, global CDN, newsletters, and a modern interface as standard — without the need to install additional plugins. This makes the hosting fee lower than a WordPress setup with paid plugins and services, making Ghost an economical solution.

In its confrontation with Substack, Ghost does not charge commissions on revenue and enables full personalization (custom domains, themes, custom content). Instead of using a closed platform with limited features, creators have full control over code, subscriber lists, and site appearance. Additionally, Ghost is a non-profit organization with a transparent business model.

Pricing model and hosting options

Ghost can be launched in two ways:

1. Ghost(Pro) — official managed hosting. Lets you set up a site in a few clicks; the price (from about $17/month for a blog) includes updates, backups, newsletter delivery, CDN, and 24/7 support. This allows creators to focus on content while the Ghost team handles all infrastructure.
2. Self-hosting — installation on your own VPS server. This is an option for technical people who want full control over the environment or want to limit costs with low traffic. Ghost can be installed on a server with Ubuntu, Node.js, and MySQL, using the Ghost-CLI tool. In this variant, you handle updates, backups, and the server yourself, but thanks to the open source code you can modify the engine, change the database, or add custom integrations.

The decision between Ghost(Pro) and self-hosting depends on experience and needs. Creators managing their own server will incur costs for additional services (CDN, newsletter delivery, analytics), while Ghost(Pro) offers a complete solution within a single fee.

Why is Ghost attractive for creators?

- Your domain and brand — in Ghost you will not find foreign branding; your logo and colors are prominently displayed.
- Data ownership — the subscriber list belongs to you; you can export it and use it freely.
- No currency restrictions — Ghost supports 135 currencies and all payment methods offered by Stripe, making it easy to sell products worldwide.
- Quick start — launching a site on Ghost(Pro) takes about 20 seconds; self-hosting is also straightforward thanks to the CLI tool.
- Flexibility — Ghost can function as a traditional CMS with themes, a headless CMS with API, or an element of a Jamstack architecture. This means the platform can be used as a blog, newsletter, community portal, digital shop, or online course system.

How to issue an invoice for a Ghost.org transaction in Poland?

Ghost integrates with the Stripe payment system, and all subscription payments go directly to the creator's account. To legally conduct sales in Poland, you need to issue VAT invoices. Fortunately, you do not have to do this manually.

Ghost does not offer invoicing features, but it uses Stripe, so you can leverage the Stripe API connection. This is where striptu.com comes to the rescue — a Polish SaaS that automatically synchronizes sales data from Stripe with invoicing systems (e.g., fakturownia.pl, and soon also ifirma or infakt). In practice, you connect your Stripe account to striptu, link it with your chosen invoicing application, and every Ghost transaction automatically creates an invoice compliant with Polish tax regulations. This allows creators to focus on creating content and building their community while administration becomes hassle-free.

Ghost is a modern, efficient, and transparent system that gives creators full control over their brand and revenue. Combined with integrations like striptu.com, it provides a complete solution for Polish creators of e-books, courses, and newsletters who want to sell online and automatically handle their accounting.