6 self-hosted options
Open-source alternatives to Medium
The best open-source alternative to Medium is Ghost (MIT, 55,607 GitHub stars). WordPress stands out for an appsgit step-by-step deploy guide, and WriteFreely stands out for its Go codebase.
About Medium: A hosted publishing platform for long-form writing and reader subscriptions.
Updated · data from GitHub, refreshed daily
Top picks
- Rank 1:
Ghost
TryGhost/Ghost
Just a blogging platform.
Active · last commit Oct 26, 2026
Blogging PlatformsTypeScriptStands out for the most GitHub stars.
- Rank 2:
WordPress
WordPress/WordPress
World's most-used blogging and CMS engine.
Active · last commit Oct 26, 2026
CMSPHPStands out for an appsgit step-by-step deploy guide.
- Rank 3:
WriteFreely
writefreely/writefreely
Writing software for starting a minimalist, federated blog — or an entire community.
Active · last commit Oct 1, 2026
Blogging PlatformsGoStands out for its Go codebase.
At a glance
Medium alternatives compared
Open-source apps come first, then source-available ones and apps whose license appsgit could not verify; within each group, projects with at least 12 commits in the last 12 months come before less active or archived ones, then by GitHub stars.
| App | Stands out for | License | GitHub stars | Commits (12 mo) | Last commit | Docker image |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ghost | the most GitHub stars | MIT | 55,607 | 6,670 | Oct 26, 2026 | No |
| WordPress | an appsgit step-by-step deploy guide | GPL-2.0 | 21,503 | 2,629 | Oct 26, 2026 | No |
| WriteFreely | its Go codebase | AGPL-3.0 | 5,275 | 216 | Oct 1, 2026 | No |
| HTMLy | – | GPL-2.0 | 1,367 | 99 | Jan 25, 2026 | No |
| Haven | a permissive MIT license | MIT | 812 | 33 | Oct 4, 2026 | No |
| Mataroa | – | AGPL-3.0 | 372 | 238 | Oct 25, 2026 | No |
Full list
All 6 Medium alternatives
Open any app for live stats, license details and a deploy option.
- 1
Ghost
Just a blogging platform.
Blogging PlatformsStands out for the most GitHub stars. Ghost has 55,607 GitHub stars, uses the MIT license and had 6,670 commits in the last year.
- 2
WordPress
World's most-used blogging and CMS engine.
CMSStands out for an appsgit step-by-step deploy guide. WordPress has 21,503 GitHub stars, uses the GPL-2.0 license and had 2,629 commits in the last year.
- 3
WriteFreely
Writing software for starting a minimalist, federated blog — or an entire community.
Blogging PlatformsStands out for its Go codebase. WriteFreely has 5,275 GitHub stars, uses the AGPL-3.0 license and had 216 commits in the last year.
- 4
HTMLy
Databaseless PHP blogging platform. A flat-file CMS that allows you to create a fast, secure, and powerful website or blog in seconds.
Blogging PlatformsHTMLy has 1,367 GitHub stars, uses the GPL-2.0 license and had 99 commits in the last year.
- 5
Haven
Private blogging system with markdown editing and built in RSS reader.
Blogging PlatformsStands out for a permissive MIT license. Haven has 812 GitHub stars, uses the MIT license and had 33 commits in the last year.
- 6
Mataroa
Naked blogging platform for minimalists.
Blogging PlatformsMataroa has 372 GitHub stars, uses the AGPL-3.0 license and had 238 commits in the last year.
Is there a free alternative to Medium?
Yes. All 6 apps on this page are open source and free to self-host, so you can replace Medium without per-user fees. You pay only for the server.
Can I self-host an alternative to Medium with Docker?
None of the apps here publishes a Docker image in the catalog data; install them from their own packages or source, following each project's guide.
Which Medium alternative is the most actively developed?
Ghost (MIT), with 6,670 commits in the last 12 months. Activity is a good sign that bugs and security issues get fixed.
How is this list ranked?
Open-source apps come first, then source-available ones and apps whose license appsgit could not verify; within each group, projects with at least 12 commits in the last 12 months come before less active or archived ones, then by GitHub stars.