Ghost shows four plans on its hosted pricing page: Starter, Publisher, Business and Custom. Starter, Publisher and Business show a yearly-billed monthly figure at the default member setting, and Custom says Custom with a get in touch route.
The first question on the Ghost pricing page isn't how big your publication is. It's whether you want readers to pay you, because that one choice decides which plans are open to you.
Ghost is a publishing platform for websites, email newsletters and paid memberships. The figures below are from its hosted plans page as of Nov 2026, shown at the page's default slider setting of 1,000 members and billed yearly.
Upgrading through the Ghost plans, one step at a time
Starter
The entry plan gives you your own website, an email newsletter, simple design settings, unlimited email sends and free custom domain support, with a one-year free .link domain registration promotion. It allows 1 staff user, 1 newsletter and a 5mb file upload.
Publisher
This is where paid subscriptions, custom themes, advanced analytics and a custom sending domain appear, along with 8,000+ integrations and automation and API access. The page says there are 0% Ghost transaction fees, though payment processor fees still apply. It allows 3 staff users, 3 newsletters, 3 premium tiers, 15 special offers and a 100mb file upload.
Business
The team tier adds priority support, higher usage limits and early access to features. It allows 15 staff users, 10 newsletters, 10 premium tiers, 50 special offers and a 250mb file upload, and its registered members row shows 10,000.
Custom
The page lists advanced configurations, a dedicated IP address, a 99.9% uptime SLA, SSO, invoice billing, a deliverability consultation and an account manager, with unlimited staff users, members, newsletters and premium tiers and a 1gb file upload. There's no figure; it's a get in touch plan.
Ghost plans in one table
| Plan | Price as shown | Billing basis | Main limit | Who it suits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Starter | $18 USD / mo, billed yearly (shown at the slider default of 1,000 members) | Yearly billing toggle; a monthly toggle also exists | 1 staff user; 1,000 members; 5mb file upload; 1 newsletter | For solo blogs & newsletters |
| Publisher | $29 USD / mo, billed yearly (at 1,000 members) | Billed yearly | 3 staff users; 3 newsletters; 3 premium tiers; 15 special offers; 100mb file upload | For custom publications |
| Business | $199 USD / mo, billed yearly (at 1,000 members) | Billed yearly | 15 staff users; registered members row: 10,000; 250mb file upload; 10 newsletters | For teams scaling up |
| Custom | Shown as Custom, no figure | Get in touch | Unlimited staff users; unlimited members; 1gb file upload; unlimited newsletters and premium tiers | For more complex needs |
There's no free plan stated; Starter, Publisher and Business each carry a 'Try for free' button. The member slider sets the figure, and the page says you'll be notified to upgrade as your member count grows.
The Starter plan's small print for paid newsletters
Starter is the lowest-priced way to launch on the page, but it has a gap that matters to anyone planning a paid newsletter. On the page's own comparison table, paid subscriptions, tips and donations, custom themes and a custom sending domain are all marked No on Starter, and they're marked Yes from Publisher.
So a publication that wants to charge readers has to start at Publisher. If you're launching free and plan to add paid tiers later, it's worth knowing that the move to paid also means a move up a plan.
Add-ons on the Business plan
The page names two add-ons, both on Business. A custom SSL certificate is + $50/mo on Business (and included on Custom). A managed subdirectory install is a $50/month addon only available on Business, and the page suggests it only for technical teams.
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Advice on reading the Ghost pricing page
Here's what the page shows. Four plans are separated by staff users (1, 3, 15, then unlimited), by member count on the slider, and by a set of features that are No on Starter and Yes from Publisher: paid subscriptions, tips and donations, custom themes and a custom sending domain. Custom has no figure and needs a get in touch conversation, as of Nov 2026.
Before you read it, decide whether you'll charge readers and how many people need to log in to write or edit. Those two answers narrow the page down quickly. If you're comparing publishing tools, our list of other newsletter and publishing platforms and our side-by-side of Ghost and Substack cover the field.
Monthly billing and self-hosting
The figures above are yearly billing. The page has a monthly toggle too, but the monthly amounts aren't part of what's set out here, so check the toggle on the live page. Self-hosting Ghost is a separate route that the hosted pricing page doesn't cover. For a wider look at newsletter tools, see our guide to newsletter platforms.
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Frequently asked questions
Does Ghost have a free plan?
No free plan is stated on the hosted pricing page as of Nov 2026. Starter, Publisher and Business each show a 'Try for free' button.
Can I run a paid newsletter on Ghost Starter?
No. The page's comparison table marks paid subscriptions, tips and donations, custom themes and a custom sending domain as No on Starter and Yes from Publisher.
Does Ghost take a transaction fee?
The Publisher plan lists 0% Ghost transaction fees, with payment processor fees still applying.
How many staff users does each Ghost plan allow?
Starter allows 1 staff user, Publisher 3, Business 15 and Custom unlimited.
What changes the Ghost figure?
The member slider. The figures shown are at the default of 1,000 members, and the page says you'll be notified to upgrade as your member count grows.
