Automad 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?
Automad
Flat-file CMS and template engine in one
VS
Ghost
Professional publishing platform for blogs and newsletters
| Feature | Automad | Ghost |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Content Management Systems | Content Management Systems |
| License | MIT | MIT |
| Language | TypeScript | JavaScript |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 128 MB | 1,024 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal, source | docker, bare-metal, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 926 | ★ 54,707 |
| First released | 2014 | 2013 |
| Replaces | WordPress | WordPress, Substack, Medium |
Why pick each one
Choose Ghost if…
- Excellent for newsletters and memberships
- Clean, fast publishing experience
Frequently asked questions
Is Automad or Ghost better?
Neither is universally better. Ghost has the larger community, while Automad is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are Automad and Ghost free and open-source?
Yes. Automad is licensed under MIT and Ghost under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Automad and Ghost with Docker?
Automad: yes. Ghost: yes.