299Ko vs Ghost
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted content management systems options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Not the right match-up?
299Ko
Simple, fast & lightweight flat-file CMS
VS
Ghost
Professional publishing platform for blogs and newsletters
| Feature | 299Ko | Ghost |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Content Management Systems | Content Management Systems |
| License | GPL-3.0 | MIT |
| Language | PHP | JavaScript |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 50 MB | 1,024 MB |
| Deployment | bare-metal | docker, bare-metal, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 23 | ★ 54,707 |
| First released | 2025 | 2013 |
| Replaces | — | WordPress, Substack, Medium |
Why pick each one
Choose 299Ko if…
- Released under the GPL-3.0 license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- Written in PHP
- Tiny footprint — runs in 50 MB RAM
Choose Ghost if…
- Excellent for newsletters and memberships
- Clean, fast publishing experience
Frequently asked questions
Is 299Ko or Ghost better?
Neither is universally better. Ghost has the larger community, while 299Ko is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are 299Ko and Ghost free and open-source?
Yes. 299Ko is licensed under GPL-3.0 and Ghost under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run 299Ko and Ghost with Docker?
299Ko: check the project docs for container support. Ghost: yes.