Build a paid newsletter and creator site with open-source software

Blueprint

Ghost runs the site, memberships and paid posts. listmonk handles bigger campaigns outside Ghost. Formbricks asks readers what they want, and Excalidraw makes the post graphics.

1. You →Posts, tiers and prices Ghost
2. Ghost →Members exported for wider campaigns listmonk
3. Formbricks →What readers want next You
4. Excalidraw →Diagrams and post images Ghost

The repos

1. 01 · Site and paid newsletter Ghost

   Open-source publishing platform with a website, email newsletters, member signups and paid subscriptions via Stripe; self-host or Ghost(Pro).

   Setup

   Medium; npm install ghost-cli then ghost install, with NGINX, MySQL 8 and a domain for production source

   Hardware

   Server with at least 1 GB memory for production source

   Paid extras

   Newsletter delivery requires Mailgun (SMTP not supported for bulk mail); Stripe needed for paid memberships

   ★ 56k MIT Confirmed: 8/8 facts Official docsGitHubReplaces beehiiv, Kit Creator and Pro, Mailchimp
2. 02 · Bulk email lists listmonk

   Self-hosted newsletter and mailing list manager in a single Go binary with PostgreSQL; lists, SQL segments, templates, analytics and archives.

   Setup

   Easy; download binary or docker compose up, plus a PostgreSQL database source

   Hardware

   Light; a production instance sent 7M+ emails using a fraction of one core and 57 MB peak RAM source

   Paid extras

   App is free; you need an SMTP server or sending service such as Amazon SES to deliver mail

   ★ 24k AGPL-3.0-only Confirmed: 8/8 facts Official docsGitHubReplaces MailerLite, Brevo
3. 03 · Reader surveys Formbricks

   Self-hostable survey platform for link, website, in-app and email surveys with logic, webhooks and integrations; some team features are Enterprise.

   Setup

   Medium; one-click Ubuntu script or Docker Compose, needs a domain with HTTPS source

   Hardware

   2 vCPU, 4 GB RAM, 20 GB SSD for evaluation; 4 vCPU, 8 GB RAM for low load source

   Paid extras

   Core is free with unlimited responses; Enterprise adds branding removal, teams and roles, contacts, SSO, audit logs, spam protection

   ★ 13k AGPL-3.0-only Confirmed: 8/8 facts Official docsGitHubReplaces SurveyMonkey, Typeform
4. 04 · Graphics Excalidraw

   Hand-drawn style infinite whiteboard for sketches, diagrams and wireframes, with end-to-end encrypted collaboration on excalidraw.com.

   Setup

   Easy to use at excalidraw.com; medium to self-host with Docker (no collaboration when self-hosted) source

   Hardware

   Not documented

   Paid extras

   None required

   ★ 134k MIT Partial: 7/8 facts Official docsGitHubReplaces Canva, Miro

Step by step

Install commands change, so each step links to the repo's own docs for the exact commands.

1. 1

   Launch the site

   Install Ghost on a server with your domain, pick a theme and write an about page and a first post. Ghost needs at least 1 GB of memory in production.

   Uses Ghost · its docs

2. 2

   Turn on the newsletter and paid tiers

   Connect Mailgun for sending (Ghost needs it for bulk newsletters) and Stripe for paid memberships, then set your free and paid tiers.

   Uses Ghost · its docs

3. 3

   Ask readers what they want

   Create a short Formbricks survey and link it from your welcome email. Use the answers to plan your next month of posts.

   Uses Formbricks · its docs

4. 4

   Make your graphics

   Use Excalidraw for diagrams and simple post images; it works in the browser, or self-host it.

   Uses Excalidraw · its docs

5. 5

   Run bigger campaigns

   When you want campaigns outside Ghost (a launch list, sponsors), set up listmonk with an email sending service and import only people who agreed to hear from you.

   Uses listmonk · its docs