Free web publishing: Ghost 6.0 is here

Ghost 6.0 extends the open-source publishing software to include native web analytics and integrates ActivityPub, a standard for connecting social networks. This allows Ghost pages to be linked directly with other platforms such as Mastodon, Bluesky, Threads, Flipboard, WordPress, and more. Users can find and comment on posts from Ghost and follow other users, regardless of the platform used. The Ghost developers use the networks connected via ActivityPub primarily as a distribution channel for their content, just as they had already connected RSS feeds, APIs, webhooks, and classic email newsletters in previous versions.

The new analytics module records standard usage data such as page views, the origin of users, and their interaction. Previously, Ghost users had to rely on third-party software for this; the new native web analytics are based on a collaboration with Tinybird. The latter offer a platform for real-time data processing for developers. Under the hood, a ClickHouse database is used, which is a column-oriented open-source database management system (DBMS) specifically designed for online analytical processing (OLAP). Ghost emphasizes that the analytics module is data protection-friendly and works without cookies.

New compared to version 5.0

Compared to the previous version, the developers have also expanded language support, which now includes over 60 different languages. Previously, all web interfaces – such as the login portal, search, or parts of the newsletter function – were in English, regardless of the language of the published content. Now users can have all these components automatically translated into the language they have set. No AI is used for this, rather the Ghost community has transferred all the text modules. Accordingly, the Ghost project continues to ask for help with the translations.

Ghost has also significantly expanded the newsletter function. Individual design settings are new, so that the colors and style of the emails better match your brand. Advertising can now be controlled with conditional cards so that ads are only displayed at the correct time or for the desired users. The new Premium Previews show regular subscribers a preview of paid content. The feature automatically differentiates between recipient groups.

Newsletters can now display the latest blog posts on request. A feedback function and a link to comment on the content is now on board for interaction with recipients. In addition, spam protection is now integrated so that ghost websites can be better protected against sign-up fakes. A new automatic troubleshooting function should help with delivery problems. If the automatic list cleaning function has deactivated the newsletter for a user, they can subscribe to it again in the future with a single click.

The editor has also been completely overhauled since version 5.0; it now offers native image editing and a history of posts that can be restored more easily. Ghost users can edit home pages more effectively by deactivating the title and image by default and then rebuilding them as desired using dynamic cards. You can now also create nested lists. An announcement bar can be used to place any content, for example, blog posts or offers for subscribers – at the top of the page with just a few clicks.

Managers can optionally activate a comment function for users, and notifications and moderation tools are included. Users can also search the post archive via a native search function. The Ghost project had already released many of these features between major releases in previous years, as the previous version 5.0 was released in mid-2022.

Open source – for the most part

Ghost emphasizes that the project remains open source and that users can continue to operate the publishing platform themselves. However, the commercial Pro version also offers exclusive features in addition to SaaS hosting and support. The prices of Ghost Pro have also changed with version 6.0. They are increasing for the cheaper licenses; those with many subscribers can expect lower prices.

Interesting for self-operation: Ghost 6.0 also includes a preview of the upcoming switch to Docker Compose for installation and operation. The switch will take place with version 7.0. The official setup now relies on Ubuntu 24, Node.js 22, and MySQL8; the software can also be operated with other systems, but this has not been tested. There is now a VS code extension for developers, which is intended for theme creation. Ghost is also getting rid of some legacy issues, as support for Node.js 18 and 20 has been removed, as has Google AMP.

All changes in version 6.0 and since its predecessor 5.0 can be found in the changelog. There are also instructions for self-operation on GitHub.

(fo)