Quick Answer
Last verified:
High confidence

Ghost CMS costs $15 to $199 per USD / mo as of July 2026, with 4 plans available. Plans: STARTER at $15/USD / mo, PUBLISHER at $29/USD / mo, and BUSINESS at $199/USD / mo. Enterprise pricing is available on request. Pricing depends on your chosen tier, contract length, and negotiated discounts.

Use the interactive pricing calculator to estimate your exact cost based on team size and requirements.

  • Free tier: No free tier available

Ghost CMS offers 4 pricing tiers: STARTER, PUBLISHER, BUSINESS, CUSTOM. Paid plans include STARTER at $15/USD / mo, PUBLISHER at $29/USD / mo, BUSINESS at $199/USD / mo.

Last verified: | Sources: 1 pricing pages and reviews
Know Before You Buy — See Ghost CMS Plans

Ghost CMS lists $15-$199/USD / mo, but hidden costs like implementation and support add to the total as of July 2026. Key hidden costs: hosting costs (self-hosted), managed self-hosting, email delivery (self-hosted). Verified from 1 sources by CostBench.

Hidden Costs Breakdown

1

Hosting Costs (Self-Hosted)

high implementation

Self-hosting Ghost requires a Virtual Private Server (VPS), which can range from approximately $4-$6/month to $50/month, or around $39-$55/month for a realistic self-hosted newsletter covering VPS, domain, and email.

industry

Hosting Costs: While the Ghost software is open-source and free, self-hosting requires a Virtual Private Server (VPS), which can range from approximately $4-$6/month to $50/month, depending on the provider and resource needs.

2

Managed Self-Hosting

medium implementation

Managed self-hosting via third parties like Pikapods or MagicPages can start from $15/month.

industry

Managed self-hosting via third parties like Pikapods or MagicPages can start from $15/month.

3

Email Delivery (Self-Hosted)

high addon

For self-hosted Ghost, email delivery is not included and requires third-party services like Mailgun, which can range from $15-$90/month.

industry

Email Delivery: For self-hosted Ghost, email delivery is not included and requires third-party services like Mailgun, SendGrid, or Sender.

4

Basic Ghost Setup

medium implementation

Basic Ghost setup with an existing theme and configuration can cost $400-$800.

industry

Development and Theming: * Basic Ghost setup with an existing theme and configuration can cost $400-$800.

5

Semi-Custom Site Development

medium implementation

Semi-custom sites with theme customization and basic integrations are estimated at $800-$1,500.

industry

Semi-custom sites with theme customization and basic integrations are estimated at $800-$1,500.

6

Advanced Ghost Builds

high implementation

Advanced Ghost builds, including headless setups, custom APIs, and membership flows, can cost $3,000-$10,000+.

industry

Advanced Ghost builds, including headless setups, custom APIs, and membership flows, can cost $3,000-$10,000+.

7

CMS Migration

medium migration

Migration from other CMS platforms like WordPress can cost $500-$2,000, depending on site size.

industry

Migration from other CMS platforms like WordPress can cost $500-$2,000, depending on site size.

8

Premium Themes

low addon

Premium themes typically cost a one-time investment of $69-$149.

industry

Premium themes typically cost a one-time investment of $69-$149.

9

Payment Processing Fees

medium overage

Standard Stripe payment processing fees typically apply, which are 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction, plus a 0.7% fee for recurring subscriptions.

industry

Third-Party Integrations: While Ghost offers a 0% platform fee on subscription revenue, standard Stripe payment processing fees (typically 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction, plus a 0.7% fee for recurring subscriptions) still apply.

10

Time Investment for Self-Hosting

medium implementation

Self-hosting demands significant time for setup, updates, security, and backups, which is a hidden cost for those without technical expertise.

industry

Time Investment: Self-hosting demands significant time for setup, updates, security, and backups, which can be a hidden cost for those without technical expertise.

11

Managed Subdirectory Install

low addon

A managed subdirectory install, which allows a Ghost site to run on a subdirectory, is a $50/month add-on available only on the Ghost(Pro) Business plan.

industry

Add-ons: A managed subdirectory install, which allows a Ghost site to run on a subdirectory (e.g., example.com/blog), is a $50/month add-on available only on the Ghost(Pro) Business plan.

Frequently Asked Questions

01 What hidden costs should I budget for with Ghost CMS?

Beyond the license fee, budget for: Hosting Costs (Self-Hosted) ($4-$50/month); Managed Self-Hosting ($15/month); Email Delivery (Self-Hosted) ($15-$90/month); Basic Ghost Setup ($400-$800); Semi-Custom Site Development ($800-$1,500); Advanced Ghost Builds ($3,000-$10,000+); CMS Migration ($500-$2,000); Premium Themes ($69-$149); Payment Processing Fees (2.9% + $0.30 per transaction, plus 0.7% for recurring subscriptions); Managed Subdirectory Install ($50/month). Exact totals depend on your deployment size and negotiated terms.

02 Does Ghost CMS charge for implementation?

Ghost CMS implementation is not included in the license cost. Self-hosting Ghost requires a Virtual Private Server (VPS), which can range from approximately $4-$6/month to $50/month, or around $39-$55/month for a realistic self-hosted newsletter covering VPS, domain, and email.. Estimated impact: $4-$50/month.

03 How much does Ghost CMS support cost?

Premium support pricing for Ghost CMS depends on your tier and contract terms. See the sourced cost breakdown above for any verified figures we have.

04 Are there overage or storage costs with Ghost CMS?

Standard Stripe payment processing fees typically apply, which are 2.9% + $0. Estimated impact: 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction, plus 0.7% for recurring subscriptions.

05 What add-ons cost extra with Ghost CMS?

Add-on pricing for Ghost CMS varies by feature. The sourced cost breakdown above lists any verified add-on costs we have.

Now You Know the Real Cost — See Ghost CMS Plans

Check current Ghost CMS pricing

Prices and terms change; verify against the live pricing page.

See Ghost CMS Pricing