Publish. Monetize.
Keep Everything.
Fully managed Ghost with MySQL, automatic TLS, and unlimited members — no platform fees, no server management.
Substack takes 10% of your revenue. Ghost(Pro) limits your members. Managed Ghost on DanubeData removes both problems.
Starting at €7.99/month(billed hourly)
Stop Giving Away Your Revenue
Platform fees and member caps eat into your earnings. Managed Ghost eliminates both.
| Ghost(Pro) | Substack | Beehiiv | DanubeData | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Starting Price | $9/mo (500 members) | Free (10% rev share) | $49/mo (Growth) | From €7.99/mo |
| Member Limit | 500 (Starter) | Unlimited | 10,000 | Unlimited |
| Platform Fee | 0% (Creator+ only) | 10% of revenue | 0% | 0% |
| Database | Shared | N/A | N/A | Dedicated MySQL 8.4 |
| Server Management | None (SaaS) | None (SaaS) | None (SaaS) | None (fully managed) |
| Custom Themes | Yes | Limited | Limited | Full control |
| Data Location | US | US | US | EU (Germany) |
The Math Is Simple
With 1,000 paid subscribers at €10/month, Substack takes €1,000/month in platform fees. Managed Ghost on DanubeData costs €7.99/month.
Prices as of early 2025. DanubeData includes a dedicated MySQL database in every plan. Stripe processing fees (~2.9% + €0.25) still apply.
Simple, Flat Pricing
Database, TLS, custom domains, and backups included in every plan
Starter
For personal blogs and small publications
Professional
For growing publications and newsletters
Business
For high-traffic publications and teams
Enterprise
For large-scale publishing operations
All prices excl. VAT · Billed hourly · Cancel anytime
Publishing in Three Steps
From signup to your first published post — no DevOps required.
Choose Ghost
Select Ghost from our app catalog and pick a plan (Starter or Professional).
Name & Deploy
Choose a subdomain, and deploy. Your instance is live in minutes with MySQL and admin access ready.
Start Publishing
Access the Ghost admin, connect Stripe for payments, and publish your first post.
A Complete Publishing Platform
Everything you need to write, grow, and monetize — no plugins required
Beautiful Editor
A distraction-free writing experience with rich cards for images, embeds, galleries, callouts, and more.
Built-in Newsletters
Send newsletters to your subscribers directly from Ghost. No separate email tool needed.
Membership Payments
Accept paid subscriptions via Stripe. Keep 100% of revenue — no platform fees on managed Ghost.
Dedicated MySQL
Your own MySQL 8.4 database with persistent NVMe storage and automatic health checks.
SEO by Default
Structured data, XML sitemaps, clean URLs, meta tags, and canonical URLs. All automatic, no plugins.
Automatic TLS
HTTPS enabled by default with managed certificates. Your publication is secure from the first request.
Custom Themes
Beautiful default themes or build your own with Handlebars. Full control over design and layout.
Custom Domains
Add your own domain with automatic DNS verification and TLS provisioning.
Content API
Headless CMS capabilities. Use Ghost as a backend with any frontend framework via the Content API.
Analytics Dashboard
Built-in engagement analytics. Track member growth, email open rates, and content performance.
Snapshots & Backups
Full instance snapshots including the database. Restore to any point or schedule automated daily backups.
GDPR Compliant
EU infrastructure in Germany. Your content, subscribers, and revenue data never leave European datacenters.
Built for Creators Who Mean Business
From personal blogs to six-figure newsletters
Independent Publishing
Build your publication with full editorial control. No algorithms deciding what your readers see.
Paid Newsletters
Monetize your expertise with paid subscriptions. Keep 100% of revenue minus Stripe's processing fee.
Creator Economy
Build a direct relationship with your audience. No platform intermediary taking a cut of your income.
Headless CMS
Use Ghost's Content API to power any frontend. Build with Next.js, Nuxt, Astro, or any framework.
Managed Ghost FAQ
Common questions about managed Ghost on DanubeData
Your Content. Your Revenue. Your Platform.
Deploy managed Ghost in one click. MySQL, TLS, and backups — all included.
No contracts · Cancel anytime · Billed by the hour