Ghost
Independent technology for modern publishing, memberships, subscriptions and newsletters.
55.6k GitHub stars · MIT · last code push Oct 29, 2026 · GitHub · Website
Open-source and self-hosted alternatives to Substack
Publish and send newsletters on your own domain. Ghost has paid memberships built in; listmonk is purely for sending email.
Category: Publishing & newsletters · GitHub data as of Oct 29, 2026 · FAQ · Cost & self-hosting
| Project | What it is | License | GitHub stars | Last release | Runs as | Hosted plan |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ghost Active MIT | Independent technology for modern publishing, memberships, subscriptions and newsletters. | MIT | 55.6k | Oct 27, 2026 | Self-hosted web app | Yes, from the project |
| listmonk Active AGPL-3.0 | High performance, self-hosted, newsletter and mailing list manager with a modern dashboard. Single binary app. | AGPL-3.0 | 24.0k | Oct 28, 2026 | Self-hosted web app | Not confirmed |
| WriteFreely Active AGPL-3.0 | A clean, Markdown-based publishing platform made for writers. Write together and build a community. | AGPL-3.0 | 5.3k | Aug 10, 2026 | Self-hosted web app | Yes, from the project |
Are they still maintained?
3 of 3 Substack alternatives here had a code push or release in the last 180 days (checked Oct 29, 2026).
- Ghost: active, last activity Oct 29, 2026 (0 days ago)
- listmonk: active, last activity Oct 29, 2026 (0 days ago)
- WriteFreely: active, last activity Oct 26, 2026 (2 days ago)
See every project in the "Is it still maintained?" tracker →
What switching from Substack costs
Substack: current plans and prices are on Substack's pricing page.
| Alternative | How you run it | Software cost | What you pay for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ghost | Your server, or the project's hosted plan | $0 (MIT) | A server you rent (or own), or the project's paid hosted plan. |
| listmonk | Your server | $0 (AGPL-3.0) | A server you rent or own, plus your time for updates and backups. |
| WriteFreely | Your server, or the project's hosted plan | $0 (AGPL-3.0) | A server you rent (or own), or the project's paid hosted plan. |
Self-hosting basics: Ghost, listmonk and WriteFreely need a server, which can be a small cloud server or a spare machine at home. For a sense of scale, DigitalOcean's price list shows a 1 GiB server at $6/month and 2 GiB at $12/month (checked Oct 29, 2026). Check each project's documented requirements before choosing a size, and budget time for updates and backups.
Don't want to run a server? Ghost and WriteFreely offer a hosted plan run by the project itself. Prices change, so check each project's site.
The options in more detail
listmonk
High performance, self-hosted, newsletter and mailing list manager with a modern dashboard. Single binary app.
24.0k GitHub stars · AGPL-3.0 · last code push Oct 29, 2026 · GitHub · Website
WriteFreely
A clean, Markdown-based publishing platform made for writers. Write together and build a community.
5.3k GitHub stars · AGPL-3.0 · last code push Oct 26, 2026 · GitHub · Website
Substack alternatives: common questions
What is the best open-source alternative to Substack?
It depends on how you use Substack. Of the 3 options here, Ghost is the most followed on GitHub (55.6k stars) and is actively maintained, with its latest release on Oct 27, 2026.
Is there a self-hosted Substack alternative?
Yes. Ghost, listmonk and WriteFreely run on a server you control, so your data stays with you. If you'd rather not run a server, Ghost and WriteFreely also offer a hosted plan from the people who make them.
Is there a free alternative to Substack?
Yes. Every project on this page can be downloaded and used at no cost from its public repository. Server apps are free software, but you pay for the server they run on.
Are these Substack alternatives still maintained?
As of Oct 29, 2026, 3 of 3 had a code push or release in the last 180 days. None are flagged as inactive or archived. We re-check every project weekly.
How much does it cost to switch from Substack?
The software itself is free. For server apps, the main cost is hosting: as a reference point, DigitalOcean lists a 1 GiB server at $6/month and a 2 GiB server at $12/month (checked Oct 29, 2026). Check each project's documented requirements before choosing a size. The hidden cost is time: moving your data and, for self-hosted apps, keeping up with updates and backups.
Know a project we missed, or maintain one listed here? Tell us. Maintainers can add a live status badge to their README.
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