Eleventy vs Ghost
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted apps from related categories — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Not the right match-up?
Eleventy
Simpler static site generator for fast websites
VS
Ghost
Professional publishing platform for blogs and newsletters
| Feature | Eleventy | Ghost |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Blogging Platforms | Content Management Systems |
| License | MIT | MIT |
| Language | JavaScript | JavaScript |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 256 MB | 1,024 MB |
| Deployment | binary, source | docker, bare-metal, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 19,840 | ★ 54,707 |
| First released | 2018 | 2013 |
| Replaces | WordPress, Medium | WordPress, Substack, Medium |
Why pick each one
Choose Ghost if…
- Excellent for newsletters and memberships
- Clean, fast publishing experience
Frequently asked questions
Is Eleventy 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 Eleventy and Ghost free and open-source?
Yes. Eleventy is licensed under MIT and Ghost under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Eleventy and Ghost with Docker?
Eleventy: check the project docs for container support. Ghost: yes.