Ghost vs Scovie
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?
Ghost
Professional publishing platform for blogs and newsletters
VS
Scovie
Digital signage system for high schools
| Feature | Ghost | Scovie |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Content Management Systems | Content Management Systems |
| License | MIT | GPL-3.0 |
| Language | JavaScript | JavaScript |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 1,024 MB | 300 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal, source | bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 54,707 | ★ 14 |
| First released | 2013 | 2023 |
| Replaces | WordPress, Substack, Medium | — |
Why pick each one
Choose Ghost if…
- Excellent for newsletters and memberships
- Clean, fast publishing experience
Choose Scovie if…
- Released under the GPL-3.0 license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- Written in JavaScript
- Lightweight — runs in 300 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is Ghost or Scovie better?
Neither is universally better. Ghost has the larger community, while Scovie is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are Ghost and Scovie free and open-source?
Yes. Ghost is licensed under MIT and Scovie under GPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Ghost and Scovie with Docker?
Ghost: yes. Scovie: check the project docs for container support.