Ghost CMS 2026: Self-Hosted Costs From $4/Month vs Pro Plans Explained
Ghost, the open-source CMS, is free to download under an MIT license, but its managed hosting product Ghost Pro uses a subscriber-based pricing model that starts at $9 per month annually. Self-hosting Ghost on a basic VPS in 2026 can cost as little as $4–$27 per month, though users must handle server maintenance, updates, and backups themselves. Ghost Pro plans range from Starter at $9/month to Business at $199/month, with member count — not staff seats or page views — acting as the sole billing threshold. Exceeding a plan's member limit blocks new signups until the account is upgraded, and crossing from Creator to Team tier doubles the monthly cost for just one extra subscriber. Unlike competitors such as Contentful or Strapi, Ghost Pro offers no permanent free tier, making self-hosting the only zero-cost option for budget-conscious users.
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