Ghost: The Open Alternative to Substack

Ghost 6: Connecting Publishers to the Open Social Web

Following an extensive beta period, Ghost has launched version 6 of its publishing platform. This new iteration empowers publishers to share their in-depth content directly with a wider audience across the decentralized social landscape.

Beyond traditional publishing channels like the web, RSS feeds, and email newsletters, Ghost users can now seamlessly integrate with platforms such as Mastodon, a decentralized alternative to X; Meta’s Threads; Flipboard; and WordPress sites utilizing ActivityPub, Surf, and WriteFreely.

Bridging the Social Divide

While integration with Bluesky is also available, it’s facilitated through Bridgy Fed. This service connects the ActivityPub-powered “fediverse” with the AT Protocol, which underpins Bluesky and similar applications.

Manton Reece, founder of Micro.blog, highlighted the distinction between his platform’s approach – direct AT Protocol integration – and Ghost’s reliance on bridging technology.

ActivityPub has been a cornerstone of open, decentralized social media for some time. However, interest in this protocol has surged following changes at Twitter (now X), prompting the development of alternative platforms.

Expanding the Social Ecosystem

Meta introduced Instagram Threads in 2023 as a competitor to X, rapidly gaining traction on mobile devices. WordPress, including WordPress.com, now supports ActivityPub integration, enabling users to follow blogs on platforms like Mastodon.

Other applications, including Flipboard and the newer Surf app, have also joined the open social web, as has the publishing platform Medium.

Ghost emphasizes the potential for network effects through ActivityPub connectivity. This allows users on federated apps to follow publishers and engage with their content through likes, replies, and reposts, potentially increasing reach and readership.

New Features and Functionality

Ghost 6 introduces an “Inbox” feature, allowing users to follow articles published on Ghost or WordPress. Publishers can also share short-form content to the fediverse directly from the admin screen, fostering audience growth and engagement.

This release arrives after a controversial incident involving Substack, a competitor, which sent a push notification promoting a Nazi newsletter. Several authors, including Casey Newton of Platformer, have since left Substack in protest.

Notable publications currently using Ghost include 404 Media, Spyglass, David Sirota’s The Lever, Tangle, Jason Calacanis’s Inside, and SFist.

The company reports that its publishers have collectively generated over $100 million in revenue, resulting in $8.5 million in annual revenue for Ghost.

Enhanced Analytics and Pricing

Beyond the ActivityPub integration, Ghost 6 includes a native analytics suite. This provides real-time tracking of performance, engagement, and conversions across web, newsletter, and subscription channels.

The software now supports diverse payment methods, tips, donations, branded newsletters, and personalized content options.

Ghost has adjusted its Pro plan pricing. The entry-level plans now start at $15 and $29 per month, increased from $9 and $25 respectively. However, publishers with substantial subscriber bases will benefit from reduced pricing.