# Ghost vs WordPress

> Pick Ghost for a fast, focused publishing platform with built-in newsletters and paid memberships; pick WordPress for maximum flexibility through plugins, themes and any type of site.

## Verdict

Ghost is built for writers and publishers: newsletters, member signups and Stripe subscriptions are part of the core, and the editor is clean and fast. WordPress powers every kind of site, from blogs to shops to directories, thanks to its enormous plugin and theme ecosystem, but it needs more maintenance and care around plugin security.

- Best for Ghost: Newsletters, paid memberships and focused publishing
- Best for WordPress: Any kind of website that needs plugins and custom themes

## Key differences

| Aspect | Ghost | WordPress |
|---|---|---|
| License | MIT. | GPL-2.0 or later. |
| Language/stack | Node.js with MySQL 8. | PHP with MySQL or MariaDB. |
| Standout features | Built-in newsletters, members, Stripe subscriptions and ActivityPub support. | Block editor, tens of thousands of plugins and themes, WooCommerce for shops. |
| Hosting | Official installs use Ghost-CLI on Ubuntu or the newer Docker Compose setup; docs ask for at least 1 GB memory. | Runs on almost any PHP hosting, from shared hosts to containers. |
| Learning curve | Opinionated and simple; themes use Handlebars templates. | Easy to start, but plugins and themes add maintenance and security upkeep. |

## GitHub numbers

| Metric | Ghost | WordPress |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | 55,489 | 21,450 |
| Forks | 11,983 | 12,970 |
| Commits, last 12 months | 5,329 | 2,047 |
| Last commit | Oct 6, 2026 | Oct 6, 2026 |
| Latest release | v6.67.0 | None |
| License | MIT | GPL-2.0 |
| License type | Open source | Open source |
| Language | TypeScript | PHP |
| Docker image | No | No |
| Repository | https://github.com/TryGhost/Ghost | https://github.com/WordPress/WordPress |

App pages: [Ghost](https://appsgit.com/apps/ghost), [WordPress](https://appsgit.com/apps/wordpress)

## FAQ

### Is Ghost faster than WordPress?

Ghost ships with fewer moving parts and no plugin layer, so a default install is lean. A well-tuned WordPress site with caching can also be fast; the difference comes mostly from plugins and themes.

### Can I move from WordPress to Ghost?

Yes. Ghost provides an official WordPress migration plugin and importer that bring over posts, pages, tags and images.

### Can Ghost run an online store?

Ghost handles paid memberships and subscriptions, not general product sales. For a full store, WordPress with WooCommerce or a dedicated e-commerce app is the better fit.

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