Ghost Technology Intelligence

What is Ghost?

Ghost is an open-source publishing platform for professional bloggers, journalists, and content creators. Founded in 2013 through a Kickstarter campaign, Ghost focuses on writing and membership businesses.

Unlike general-purpose CMS platforms, Ghost is built specifically for publishing. Native support for newsletters, paid memberships, and content monetization makes Ghost a complete creator platform.

Publishing Features

Editor

• Rich Text: Modern block editor
• Cards: Embeds, galleries, code
• Markdown: Full support
• Scheduling: Future publishing

Memberships

• Subscriptions: Free and paid tiers
• Stripe: Native payment integration
• Portal: Member account management
• Analytics: Member engagement

Newsletters

• Email: Built-in sending
• Segmentation: Targeted sends
• Analytics: Open rates, clicks
• Customization: Email templates

Publishing Scenarios

Independent Publishers

Writers and journalists build subscription businesses on Ghost. Paid memberships monetize content without advertising dependence.

Company Blogs

Tech companies use Ghost for engineering and product blogs. Clean writing experience and API access for custom frontends.

Newsletters

Newsletter creators migrate from Substack to Ghost for more control. Own your audience list and avoid platform fees.

Documentation

Developer-focused companies use Ghost for docs with the Content API powering custom documentation sites.

Content API

JavaScript SDK

import GhostContentAPI from '@tryghost/content-api';

const api = new GhostContentAPI({
    url: 'https://your-blog.ghost.io',
    key: 'CONTENT_API_KEY',
    version: 'v5.0'
});

// Fetch posts
const posts = await api.posts.browse({
    limit: 10,
    include: 'tags,authors',
    filter: 'visibility:public'
});

posts.forEach(post => {
    console.log(post.title, post.excerpt);
});

Custom Integration

// Admin API for content management
const GhostAdminAPI = require('@tryghost/admin-api');

const admin = new GhostAdminAPI({
    url: 'https://your-blog.ghost.io',
    key: 'ADMIN_API_KEY',
    version: 'v5.0'
});

await admin.posts.add({
    title: 'New Post',
    html: '<p>Content here</p>',
    status: 'draft'
});

Hosting & Comparison

Ghost(Pro) Pricing

• Starter: $9/month, 500 members
• Creator: $25/month, 1,000 members
• Team: $50/month, 1,000 members
• Business: $199/month, 10,000 members

vs WordPress

• Focus: Ghost publishing, WordPress everything
• Speed: Ghost faster out-of-box
• Memberships: Ghost native, WordPress plugins
• Customization: WordPress more flexible

vs Substack

• Ownership: Ghost self-host option
• Fees: Ghost no revenue share
• Customization: Ghost full theming
• Simplicity: Substack easier start