Ghost vs ActivityPub for WordPress
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?
Ghost
Professional publishing platform for blogs and newsletters
VS
ActivityPub for WordPress
Turn a WordPress blog into a fediverse actor
| Feature | Ghost | ActivityPub for WordPress |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Content Management Systems | Social Networks |
| License | MIT | MIT |
| Language | JavaScript | PHP |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 1,024 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal, source | source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 54,707 | ★ 576 |
| First released | 2013 | 2019 |
| Replaces | WordPress, Substack, Medium | Twitter, Medium |
Why pick each one
Choose Ghost if…
- Excellent for newsletters and memberships
- Clean, fast publishing experience
Choose ActivityPub for WordPress if…
- Released under the MIT license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- Written in PHP
- Tiny footprint — runs in 256 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is Ghost or ActivityPub for WordPress better?
Neither is universally better. Ghost has the larger community, while ActivityPub for WordPress is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are Ghost and ActivityPub for WordPress free and open-source?
Yes. Ghost is licensed under MIT and ActivityPub for WordPress under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Ghost and ActivityPub for WordPress with Docker?
Ghost: yes. ActivityPub for WordPress: check the project docs for container support.