Open-source blogging platform Ghost begins rolling out its fully-hosted service

Ghost, the Node.js-based open-source blogging platform that launched to the public in October following a successful Kickstarter campaign, is rolling out the fully-hosted version of the platform.

In an email sent out to users this week, the team says that they’ve been beta testing the hosted version with “several thousand” people over the past month, and it’s now ready for launch. Though it isn’t yet switched on for everybody.

Founded by  former WordPress UI Group Deputy Head John O’Nolan, and WordPress developer Hannah Wolfe, Ghost is looking to make a name for itself by focusing on pure publishing and blogging. Think WordPress…but simplified. Thus far, you’ve had to arrange your own hosting to use the platform, however we did know that a hosted product was on the way. In the original Kickstarter blurb, it said:

“The majority of the problems which exist with self-hosted blogs, exist due to complications with hosting. That’s something we want to solve. We’re setting up world-class hosted platform that allows you to set up a new Ghost blog in just a couple of clicks

You’ll need hosting for your blog no matter what, but our service will be the most powerful way of running Ghost – and the easiest to get started with.”

The hosted pricing varies by number of blogs and traffic – the bigger your site(s), the more you pay. And if you’re a behemoth that reels in millions of eyeballs a month, well, you’ll have to negotiate the price it seems.

Ghost is actually a not-for-profit organization, so the hosted incarnation is basically to fund the broader service. All the money will go back into developing and improving the software, as well as paying for more developers.

You can sign-up here, and once your account has been approved for a hosted service, the first month will be free. So you’re able to jump ship if you’re not a fan after the first thirty or so days.

➤ Ghost