CMS Research: Ghost

Name of CMS

Ghost

History

Ghost was founded in 2013 by John O’Nolan and Hannah Wolfe as a modern publishing platform for writers and content creators. It focuses on performance, simplicity, and a clean writing experience built with Node.js.

Requirements

Ghost runs on Node.js instead of PHP, requiring a server that supports Node and SQLite or MySQL for data storage. It’s often deployed on VPS services or through managed Ghost hosting.

Hosted / Self-hosted

Ghost can be self-hosted for free or run through Ghost(Pro), the official managed hosting service that handles updates and performance automatically.

Cost

The core Ghost software is open-source and free. Ghost(Pro) plans start at around $9/month, depending on traffic and features.

User Base

Ghost is widely used by independent publishers, journalists, and companies that prioritize fast, minimalist, and SEO-friendly blogs or newsletter platforms.