Let’s be honest: Substack is the "training wheels" of the creator economy. It’s cute. It’s easy. It’s got that nice little orange logo that screams, "I just discovered what a newsletter is!"
But if you’re a professional journalist, a serious researcher, or anyone building a brand that actually matters, Substack is starting to feel like a very crowded, very expensive studio apartment. You’re paying a 10% "success tax" for the privilege of not owning your infrastructure, not controlling your data, and being subject to the whims of an algorithm that might decide your "vibe" isn't the right fit for the platform this week.
Enter Ghost 6.0. It’s not just an update; it’s a declaration of independence. And it’s why the smartest people in media are ditching the platforms and moving "to the metal" with Leapjuice.
The 10% Tax is Over
If you’re making $100k a year on Substack, you’re paying them $10,000. For what? A basic editor and a list manager? In 2026, that’s insane.
With Ghost 6.0 on Leapjuice, you pay for the infrastructure, not a percentage of your soul. Whether you have 10 subscribers or 10 million, your costs are predictable. You keep your revenue. You keep your dignity. You keep the $10,000 for something more useful—like a really nice espresso machine or a custom silicon server (we'll get to that in another post).
Data Sovereignty (The Boring Name for Your Business's Lifeblood)
On Substack, you don’t own your audience; you rent them. Try exporting your data and moving it to a custom setup. It’s like trying to get out of a gym membership in 1998.
Ghost 6.0 is open-source. It’s built on the philosophy that you should own every single byte of your business. Your subscriber list, your content, your SEO equity—it all lives on your own instance. When you host it on Leapjuice, we give you the keys. We handle the devops, the scaling, and the security, but you own the "metal."
The Ghost 6.0 Engine: It’s Faster Than Your Thoughts
Ghost 6.0 has been re-engineered from the ground up for the modern web. The new native newsletter engine doesn't just send emails; it orchestrates experiences.
We’re talking about sub-second delivery, native support for ActivityPub (yes, your newsletter can now talk to the Fediverse), and an editor that makes every other CMS look like it was designed in Microsoft Word 95.
Why Leapjuice?
Because running Ghost on a "standard" cloud is a headache. You have to manage Node.js versions, database migrations, and mail relays.
Leapjuice takes the "professional" power of Ghost 6.0 and gives it the "ease of use" of a SaaS. We’ve optimized our stack specifically for Ghost’s high-concurrency needs. Our Anycast network ensures your latest scoop hits your readers' inboxes in Tokyo at the same microsecond it hits London.
If you’re still on Substack, you’re building on rented land. It’s time to move to the metal. It’s time for Ghost 6.0 on Leapjuice.
The revolution will not be a platform-dependent subscription. It will be open, it will be fast, and it will be yours.
Technical Specs
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