WordPress vs Ghost in 2026: Which Is Better for Your Blog?

Both WordPress and Ghost are designed for publishing, but they take fundamentally different approaches. This guide helps you decide which is right for your blog.

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Quick Comparison

Aspect

WordPress

Ghost

Type

Open-source CMS

Publishing platform

Best for

Flexibility seekers

Focused writers

Pricing

Free + hosting ($15-100/mo)

$9-199/mo (or self-host free)

Ease of use

Moderate

Easy

Performance

Requires optimization

Fast by default

Monetization

Via plugins

Built-in memberships

Extensibility

60,000+ plugins

Limited

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The Origin Story

Understanding their origins helps explain the differences:

WordPress (2003):

• Started as blogging software

• Evolved into a general-purpose CMS

• Powers 43% of the web

• Used for everything from blogs to e-commerce

Ghost (2013):

• Created by former WordPress developer John O'Nolan

• Purpose: A simpler, faster blogging platform

• Stayed focused on publishing

• Open-source but offers managed hosting

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Ease of Use

WordPress

WordPress is powerful but complex:

Setup:

• Choose hosting

• Install WordPress

• Pick a theme

• Configure plugins

• Customize settings

Content creation:

• Block editor (Gutenberg) for writing

• Media library for images

• Categories, tags, featured images

• Can be overwhelming for beginners

Maintenance:

• Weekly plugin updates

• Security monitoring

• Database optimization

• Backup management

Ghost

Ghost prioritizes simplicity:

Setup (Ghost Pro):

• Sign up → Start writing

• No hosting decisions

• No plugin choices

Content creation:

• Clean, distraction-free editor

• Markdown-native

• Beautiful by default

• Focus on writing, not managing

Maintenance:

• Automatic updates

• Managed security

• Zero maintenance required

Verdict: Ghost for Simplicity

Ghost wins on ease of use. It's designed for writing, not website management.

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Writing Experience

WordPress Editor

The Gutenberg block editor:

• Block-based (paragraphs, images, quotes as blocks)

• Powerful but complex

• Can feel clunky for long-form writing

• Many block options can distract

Ghost Editor

The Ghost editor:

• Markdown-native with rich preview

• Clean, minimal interface

• Fewer options = fewer distractions

• Cards for embeds, galleries, callouts

Side-by-Side

Feature

WordPress

Ghost

WYSIWYG

✅ Block editor

✅ Markdown + preview

Markdown

⚠️ Requires plugin

✅ Native

Code blocks

✅

✅ With syntax highlighting

Embeds

✅

✅

Simple for writers

⚠️

✅

Verdict: Ghost for Writers

Ghost's editor is purpose-built for writing. WordPress's editor can do more but feels heavier.

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Performance

WordPress Performance

WordPress is often slow:

• PHP processing on each request

• Database queries for every page

• Plugin overhead

• Requires caching, CDN, optimization

Typical PageSpeed scores:

• Unoptimized: 40-60

• Optimized: 70-85

• Heavily optimized: 85-95

Ghost Performance

Ghost is fast by default:

• Node.js (faster than PHP)

• Efficient architecture

• Built-in caching

• Clean, minimal themes

Typical PageSpeed scores:

• Default: 85-95

• With optimization: 95-99

Speed Comparison

Metric

WordPress

Ghost

TTFB

200-800ms

50-200ms

LCP

1.5-3s

0.8-1.5s

Page size

500KB-2MB

100-400KB

Verdict: Ghost Wins on Performance

Ghost is 2-3x faster than typical WordPress sites.

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Built-in Features

WordPress Built-in

• Posts and pages

• Categories and tags

• User roles (admin, editor, author)

• Media library

• Comments

Everything else requires plugins:

• SEO metadata

• Social sharing

• Contact forms

• Email subscriptions

• Analytics

• Security

• Backup

Ghost Built-in

• Posts and pages

• Tags (no categories)

• Multiple authors

• Member management

• Email newsletters

• Paid subscriptions

• Native SEO settings

• Social cards

• Code injection

• Analytics dashboard

• Integrations (Zapier, etc.)

Feature Comparison

Feature

WordPress

Ghost

Blogging

✅ Native

✅ Native

Memberships

🔌 Plugin

✅ Native

Newsletter

🔌 Plugin

✅ Native

Subscriptions

🔌 Plugin

✅ Native

SEO tools

🔌 Plugin

✅ Native

Comments

✅ Native

🔌 Integration

E-commerce

🔌 Plugin

❌

Contact forms

🔌 Plugin

🔌 Integration

Verdict: Ghost for Publishing, WordPress for Everything Else

Ghost has better built-in publishing features. WordPress can do more but requires plugins.

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Monetization

WordPress Monetization

Options:

• WooCommerce for products

• MemberPress, Paid Memberships Pro for subscriptions

• Newsletter plugins + email service

• Ad plugins for advertising

• Patreon integration

Complexity: High - requires multiple plugins and configuration

Ghost Monetization

Built-in features:

• Free and paid tiers

• Monthly/yearly subscriptions

• Stripe integration (direct)

• Email newsletters to members

• Content access control

• Member analytics

Complexity: Low - configure once, start earning

Revenue Comparison

Aspect

WordPress

Ghost

Setup time

Hours

Minutes

Transaction fees

Plugin-dependent

Stripe only (2.9%)

Email costs

Additional

Included

Member portal

Plugin needed

Built-in

Verdict: Ghost for Subscriptions

Ghost's native monetization is significantly easier and cheaper than WordPress alternatives.

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Pricing

WordPress Costs

Self-hosted (total):

Item

Monthly

Managed hosting

$25-100

Premium theme

$5-15 (amortized)

SEO plugin (premium)

$8-15

Membership plugin

$15-30

Email service

$20-50

Backup plugin

$5-10

Total

$78-220/mo

Ghost Costs

Ghost(Pro) managed hosting:

Plan

Price

Members

Staff

Starter

$9/mo

500

1

Creator

$25/mo

1,000

2

Team

$50/mo

5,000

5

Business

$199/mo

50,000

Unlimited

Self-hosted: Free (you handle hosting)

Cost Comparison

Scenario

WordPress

Ghost

Simple blog

$25-50/mo

$9/mo

Newsletter w/subscribers

$80-150/mo

$25/mo

Membership site

$100-200/mo

$50/mo

Verdict: Ghost Is Usually Cheaper

For publishing-focused sites, Ghost's all-in-one pricing is more economical.

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Extensibility

WordPress Extensibility

• 60,000+ plugins for any functionality

• Thousands of themes for any design

• Complete customization with code

• Hooks and filters for developers

• REST API for headless usage

Ghost Extensibility

• 100+ integrations via native and Zapier

• Themes (but fewer options)

• Code injection for customization

• Custom theme development

• Content API for headless usage

Comparison

Aspect

WordPress

Ghost

Plugin ecosystem

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

⭐⭐

Theme options

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

⭐⭐⭐

Custom code

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

⭐⭐⭐

API access

⭐⭐⭐⭐

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Verdict: WordPress for Extensibility

If you need plugins and flexibility, WordPress wins decisively.

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SEO Capabilities

WordPress SEO

With plugins (Yoast, Rank Math):

• Meta titles/descriptions

• XML sitemaps

• Schema markup

• Content analysis

• Redirect management

• Social meta tags

Verdict: Industry-leading SEO tools via plugins

Ghost SEO

Built-in:

• Meta titles/descriptions

• Automatic XML sitemap

• Canonical URLs

• Social cards (Open Graph, Twitter)

• Clean URLs

• Fast performance (helps rankings)

Missing:

• Schema markup (requires code)

• Content analysis

• Keyword suggestions

Verdict: WordPress for Advanced SEO

WordPress plugins offer more SEO features. Ghost covers basics well plus provides better Core Web Vitals.

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Who Should Choose WordPress?

✅ Choose WordPress If:

• You need beyond-blogging features (e-commerce, directories, etc.)

• You want unlimited design flexibility

• You have developer resources

• You need a specific WordPress plugin

• You're already invested in WordPress

❌ WordPress Isn't Ideal If:

• You just want to write and publish

• Maintenance overwhelms you

• Performance is critical

• You want easy built-in monetization

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Who Should Choose Ghost?

✅ Choose Ghost If:

• Writing is your primary focus

• You want built-in memberships/newsletters

• Speed matters to you

• You prefer minimal maintenance

• You're a solo creator or small team

❌ Ghost Isn't Ideal If:

• You need e-commerce

• You require specific WordPress plugins

• You want extensive customization

• You need native comments

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Migration Path

WordPress to Ghost

Ghost provides an official importer:

1. Export WordPress content (Tools → Export)

2. Use Ghost WordPress importer

3. Content, tags, and authors transfer

4. Images need manual migration or redirect

Ghost to WordPress

Less common, but:

1. Export Ghost content (JSON)

2. Use third-party converter

3. Import to WordPress

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The Third Option

If neither WordPress nor Ghost feels perfect, consider:

Static site generators (Next.js, Astro):

• Maximum performance

• Zero maintenance

• Any design possible

• Write in Markdown

Trade-off: Requires development skills or initial setup help

Learn about static alternatives →

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FAQ

Q: Can I migrate from WordPress to Ghost easily?

Yes, Ghost has an official WordPress importer. Basic content transfers well; complex layouts may need adjustment.

Q: Does Ghost have comments?

Not natively. Ghost integrates with services like Disqus, Cove, or you can use Giscus.

Q: Is Ghost good for SEO?

Yes. Built-in SEO is solid, and fast performance helps rankings. Advanced SEO requires custom code.

Q: Can I self-host Ghost for free?

Yes, Ghost is open-source. You can run it on DigitalOcean for ~$5/mo, but you handle maintenance.

Q: Which is better for making money from content?

Ghost. Its built-in monetization is simpler and cheaper than WordPress alternatives.

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Conclusion

Choose WordPress if you need a flexible platform that can become anything—at the cost of complexity and maintenance.

Choose Ghost if you want a focused publishing platform with built-in monetization and minimal overhead.

Both are excellent for blogging. The right choice depends on your specific needs and how you want to spend your time: writing content or managing a website.

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