Ghost
App in the BluixApps catalog
What it is
Ghost is a modern publishing platform — blogging, newsletters, paid memberships, podcasts. Node.js + MySQL, focused on writing experience and creator monetization. Built as a non-profit foundation, used by major publications and indie creators.
For writers tired of WordPress's bloat and Substack's revenue cut, Ghost is the modern alternative.
What it's for
- Publishing platform — modern blog with Markdown editor
- Newsletter publishing — email subscriptions integrated
- Paid memberships — Stripe-integrated subscription billing
- Podcast hosting — audio + RSS for podcasts
- Multi-author publication — team-edited publications
Who it's for
- Independent journalists / writers seeking Substack alternative
- Newsletter publishers wanting self-hosted infrastructure
- Subscription content creators keeping more revenue
- Media organizations running editorial workflows
- Tech-forward bloggers valuing performance + writing experience
Why teams pick Ghost over alternatives
- MIT license — fully open
- Modern stack — Node.js + fast frontend
- Memberships native — Stripe integration for paid content
- Newsletter integrated — single tool for content + email
- Beautiful UX — designer-quality writing experience
- Non-profit foundation — governance independence
Integrations
- Email — Mailgun, SendGrid, Amazon SES for newsletters
- Payments — Stripe for memberships
- Identity — local + Members API
- Storage — S3-compatible for media
- API — Content + Admin REST API
- Webhooks — fire on content events
- Apps marketplace — integrations with Zapier, etc.
Notable users & community
- 47k+ GitHub stars
- Used by The Verge, Tinder, Sky News, Stripe, OpenAI for content
- Non-profit Ghost Foundation governance
- Active community on forum + Slack
- Standard tool in indie creator ecosystem
Tips & operations
- Use external email — Mailgun/SendGrid for newsletters; direct SMTP gets spammed
- Stripe setup carefully — payments depend on correct Stripe integration
- Theme customization — Ghost themes are Handlebars; learn syntax
- Persistent MySQL + uploads — both essential
- Backup is critical — content + member data
- Mobile API — Ghost mobile app + community apps via API
What we ship in BluixApps
- Docker compose: Ghost + MySQL
- Pinned
ghost:5(release-tagged LTS) - HTTPS via Let's Encrypt
- Admin user via first-run wizard
- Persistent volumes for MySQL + content
- SMTP / Mailgun placeholders for newsletter
- Backup hook covers MySQL + content
Get this app — pick a BluixApps plan
Same catalog. Scaling tenant isolation, white-label and support tier.
| Tier | Tenants | Catalog | Support | White-label | Monthly | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stacks | 1 | 19 curated stacks | Standard | — | $19/mo | DetailDeploy |
| Starter | 10 | Full catalog | Standard | +$15–25/mo | $49/mo | DetailDeploy |
| Pro | 25 | Full catalog | Priority bugfix | +$15–25/mo | $149/mo | DetailDeploy |
| Growth | 100 | Full catalog | Priority bugfix | +$15–25/mo | $349/mo | DetailDeploy |
| Scale | 500 | Full catalog | 7-day window | +$15–25/mo | $799/mo | DetailDeploy |
| Enterprise | Unlimited | Full catalog | Priority 7-day | Bundled | $1,499/mo | DetailDeploy |