G Ghost
Your app

Ghost gives your readers
great content. Give them a
home screen to return to.

Ghost is the best publishing platform for independent creators. The one thing it does not provide is a branded app your members can install. Shastra adds that without touching your Ghost setup.

Get started free See pricing

Free Android APK build to start. No card needed. 14-day money-back guarantee.

"Independent publishing is about owning your audience. A branded app is the strongest signal that your publication is a product worth installing — not just another site to bookmark and forget."
The case for owning your reader relationship

Ghost is excellent. An app makes it permanent.

Ghost gives you a responsive website and a newsletter. Here is what neither channel provides without an app.

Ghost website only

How your members reach you today

  • 🌐Opens in a browser tab — out of sight when closed
  • 📵No home screen icon under your publication's name
  • 🔕No push notifications — you rely entirely on email opens
  • 📧Newsletter competes with dozens of other emails daily
  • 🏷️No app store listing under your brand
  • 📉Email open rates declining industry-wide
Ghost + Shastra app

What your members get with an app

  • Your publication listed on Google Play and the App Store
  • 🏠Your icon on their home screen — always visible
  • 🔔Push notifications direct to the lock screen
  • 📱Native app shell with your header, colors, and navigation
  • 🔐Ghost Members login, paid tiers, and gated content all work
  • 🎧Podcast episodes and audio posts play inside the app

A second channel your most loyal readers actually prefer

Ghost's newsletter is excellent — keep using it. The app adds push notifications as a second reach channel that works when the inbox does not.

Members who install your app are your most engaged audience. They have deliberately added your publication to their home screen. Push notifications to that group perform at multiples of email.

Email open rate (typical)30–45%
Push notification open rate60–90%
Email delivery destinationShared inbox
Push delivery destinationLock screen
Competing messages (email)Dozens daily
Competing messages (push)Just yours

Every Ghost feature, inside the app

The app loads your live Ghost publication. If it works in your browser, it works in the app.

📝Posts and pages
🔒Member-only content
💳Paid tiers and Stripe
🚪Ghost Portal login
🎧Podcast and audio posts
🎥Video and media embeds
💬Comments (Ghost native)
🔖Tags and collections
🌐Custom domain
🎨Custom themes
🔗External links and embeds
📡Self-hosted Ghost installs

From Ghost URL to live app

No Ghost configuration changes. No migration. Your publication stays exactly where it is.

1

Paste your Ghost URL

Enter your Ghost publication URL — your custom domain, your Ghost.io subdomain, or your self-hosted address. Any Ghost URL works.

2

Configure your branding

Upload your app icon, set header and splash colors to match your Ghost theme, and configure a bottom tab bar for quick links to your posts, podcast, or member area.

⚡ Live preview updates in real time as you configure
3

Request your build

We build, sign, and package your APK and AAB. Files are ready within the hour. Download them directly from the Shastra dashboard.

4

Publish and notify

Submit to Google Play and the App Store. From that point, every time you publish a new post, send a push notification from your dashboard to every member who installed the app.

Built for every type of Ghost publication

If your publication runs on Ghost and your readers are on mobile, an app is the next step.

📰
Independent journalists

Break news directly to your readers' lock screens

Push a notification the moment a story publishes. Your readers get it before they open any other app. No social algorithm, no inbox delay — direct and immediate.

💰
Paid membership publications

Give paying members an app worth their subscription

Paid tiers and member-only content work inside the app exactly as they do on the web. Your publication feels like a product, not a website your members have to remember to visit.

🎙️
Podcast and audio creators

Your podcast, your brand, your app

Ghost's audio post support means your episodes play inside your branded app. Push notifications for new episodes drive instant listens rather than waiting for RSS feeds to propagate.

🔬
Niche research publications

The authority in your niche, installed on every reader's phone

Deep research, industry analysis, and expert commentary look more credible as a standalone app than as a URL. Your brand gets a permanent home screen presence your competitors do not have.

🌍
Media companies

A mobile app without the mobile dev team

Ghost-powered media companies can launch a branded app in hours instead of months. No custom development, no ongoing engineering overhead — just a build that stays current with your publication automatically.

👥
Creator communities

Turn subscribers into an installed base

Readers who install your app are your most committed audience. Ghost Comments and member interaction become part of a mobile experience that keeps your community active between issues.

Your Ghost publication is already built.
The app takes 10 minutes.

No Ghost changes. No migration. No developer. Just a branded app your readers can install today.

Get started free See pricing

Free Android APK build included. 14-day money-back guarantee.

Frequently asked

Can I convert my Ghost blog or publication to an Android and iOS app?

Yes. Shastra converts any Ghost site into a native Android and iOS app. Paste your Ghost publication URL, configure your branding and navigation, and we build and sign the app for you. Works with Ghost.org hosted sites and self-hosted Ghost installations.

Will Ghost Members and paid tiers work inside the app?

Yes. Ghost Members, paid tiers, and member-only content all work inside the app because the app loads your full Ghost publication. Members sign in through Ghost Portal and remain authenticated as they navigate between articles.

Does Ghost's newsletter work with the app?

Yes. Your Ghost newsletter continues to work independently. The app adds push notifications as a second reach channel that gets your content in front of members without relying on email open rates. The two channels work alongside each other.

Can I send push notifications to my Ghost readers?

Yes. Once readers install your app, you can send push notifications from the Shastra dashboard. Use them for new post alerts, breaking coverage, member-only drops, or community announcements — straight to the lock screen.

Will podcast audio and media embeds play inside the app?

Yes. Audio posts, podcast episodes, video embeds, and any media on your Ghost publication play inside the app using your site's native player. Readers can listen without leaving the app.

Does my app update automatically when I publish new posts on Ghost?

Yes. The app always loads your live Ghost site, so new posts, updated articles, and membership changes appear immediately. No rebuild, no resubmission, no update required.

Does this work with self-hosted Ghost as well as Ghost.org?

Yes. Whether your Ghost publication is hosted on Ghost.org or self-hosted on your own server, Shastra works the same way. Just paste your publication URL — Shastra does not care where Ghost is hosted.

What is the difference between Ghost's default mobile experience and a branded app?

Ghost's mobile experience is a responsive website that opens in a browser. It has no app store presence, no home screen icon under your name, and no push notifications. A Shastra-built app is listed under your brand on Google Play and the App Store, installs to the home screen, and lets you reach members with push notifications.

How much does it cost to turn my Ghost site into an app?

Visit shastrapps.com/pricing to see current pricing for your region. There is a 14-day money-back guarantee on all paid plans.

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