Joomla
Ghost
Joomla vs Ghost: which is right for your project? Joomla is php cms balancing power and usability. Ghost is modern publishing platform built for professional content creators. We compare features, performance, and pricing.
Start MigrationIt depends — Joomla and Ghost serve different use cases well. Choose Joomla for Community portals and membership sites needing built-in user management. Choose Ghost for Professional writers, journalists, and newsletter creators who want to monetize content.
Official docs: Joomla Documentation · Ghost Documentation
| Feature | Joomla | Ghost |
|---|---|---|
Ease of Use | ⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
Performance | ⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
Flexibility | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐⭐ |
Cost Value | ⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐⭐ |
Scalability | ⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐⭐ |
Ecosystem | ⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐ |
| Detail | Joomla | Ghost |
|---|---|---|
Language / Stack | PHP | Node.js |
Type | traditional cms | blogging |
Pricing | Free (self-hosted) | Free (self-hosted) / $9-199/month (managed) |
Open Source | Yes | Yes |
Best For | Community portals and membership sites needing built-in user management | Professional writers, journalists, and newsletter creators who want to monetize content |
Export Method | Database export or J2XML extension | Built-in JSON export or Content API |
The right choice between Joomla and Ghost depends on three things: your team's technical skills, your project timeline, and your long-term content strategy.
These platforms take fundamentally different approaches. Joomla is a traditional cms built with PHP, while Ghost is a blogging built with Node.js. That architectural difference shapes everything from daily content editing workflows to deployment and hosting costs. If your team includes non-developers who need to publish content frequently, Joomla's familiar editing interface may save you onboarding time.
From a cost perspective, both platforms are open-source, so the real cost difference is hosting and operational overhead. Factor in plugin or extension costs, developer rates for each tech stack, and whether you need managed hosting or can self-host.
Whichever you choose, migrating between them is straightforward. LeaveWP supports migration between 60+ platforms, so you're never locked in regardless of which you pick today.
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