DotClear 2 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?
DotClear 2
Blog publishing application
VS
Ghost
Professional publishing platform for blogs and newsletters
| Feature | DotClear 2 | Ghost |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Content Management Systems | Content Management Systems |
| License | GPL-2.0-or-later | MIT |
| Language | JavaScript | |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 50 MB | 1,024 MB |
| Deployment | bare-metal | docker, bare-metal, source |
| GitHub stars | — | ★ 54,707 |
| First released | 2023 | 2013 |
| Replaces | — | WordPress, Substack, Medium |
Why pick each one
Choose DotClear 2 if…
- Released under the GPL-2.0-or-later license
- Tiny footprint — runs in 50 MB RAM
Choose Ghost if…
- Excellent for newsletters and memberships
- Clean, fast publishing experience
Frequently asked questions
Is DotClear 2 or Ghost better?
Neither is universally better. Ghost has the larger community; both share a medium setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are DotClear 2 and Ghost free and open-source?
Yes. DotClear 2 is licensed under GPL-2.0-or-later and Ghost under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run DotClear 2 and Ghost with Docker?
DotClear 2: check the project docs for container support. Ghost: yes.