Drupal 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?
Drupal
Flexible enterprise CMS for complex content structures
VS
Ghost
Professional publishing platform for blogs and newsletters
| Feature | Drupal | Ghost |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Content Management Systems | Content Management Systems |
| License | GPL-2.0 | MIT |
| Language | PHP | JavaScript |
| Setup difficulty | Hard | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 1,024 MB | 1,024 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal, source | docker, bare-metal, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 4,280 | ★ 54,707 |
| First released | 2001 | 2013 |
| Replaces | Adobe Experience Manager, Sitecore | WordPress, Substack, Medium |
Why pick each one
Choose Ghost if…
- Excellent for newsletters and memberships
- Clean, fast publishing experience
Frequently asked questions
Is Drupal or Ghost better?
Ghost is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler medium setup. Consider Drupal if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are Drupal and Ghost free and open-source?
Yes. Drupal is licensed under GPL-2.0 and Ghost under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Drupal and Ghost with Docker?
Drupal: yes. Ghost: yes.