Ghost
Professional publishing — newsletters, memberships, and monetization.
MIT-licensed alternative to WordPress and Substack. Handlebars themes, SEO built-in, Stripe integration for paid memberships, and Admin API for headless.
Medium is a proprietary, centralized publishing platform where content lives behind Medium's own paywall and algorithm, and writers have limited control over monetization and audience ownership. Publications on Medium are also subject to its content policies and platform changes.
Ghost is an open-source alternative for writers who want to self-host their own publication, own their subscriber list, and set their own monetization terms instead of relying on Medium's platform.
FAQ
Is there a free, open-source alternative to Medium?
Yes. Ghost is open source and free to self-host, giving you a Medium-style publishing experience without the platform lock-in.
What's the best open-source alternative to Medium?
Ghost is the best open-source pick for independent publishing, especially if owning your audience and monetization directly matters more than Medium's built-in readership network.
What are the top open-source alternatives to Medium?
Browse all open-source alternatives to Medium above, or explore the full Content & CMS category for more options.