Ghost VS Grav

Compare Ghost VS Grav and see what are their differences

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Ghost

Ghost is a fully open source, adaptable platform for building and running a modern online publication. We power blogs, magazines and journalists from Zappos to Sky News.

Grav

The modern open source flat-file CMS

Landing page //
2022-10-10

Landing page //
2023-04-18

Ghost

Website: ghost.org
Pricing URL: Official Ghost Pricing
$ Details: paid Free Trial $36.0 / Monthly (100k views/month, 2 users)

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Grav

Website: getgrav.org
Pricing URL: -
$ Details

Edit details

Ghost features and specs

User-Friendly Interface
Ghost offers a clean and intuitive interface that makes content management straightforward, even for those without technical expertise.
Speed and Performance
Ghost is built on modern technology like Node.js which makes it faster and more efficient compared to some traditional CMS platforms.
SEO Optimized
Ghost comes built-in with SEO features like clean URLs, meta tags, and sitemaps which help in improving search engine rankings.
Customizable Themes
Ghost supports a variety of themes that can be easily customized to fit the branding and functionality needs of a website.
Markdown Support
Content creation in Ghost is made easy with Markdown support, allowing writers to focus on text rather than formatting.

Possible disadvantages of Ghost

Limited Plugin Ecosystem
Compared to WordPress, Ghost has a more limited selection of plugins, which might restrict some functionalities users are looking for.
Higher Hosting Costs
Ghost's official hosting is relatively expensive, making it less suitable for users on a tight budget.
Technical Knowledge Requirement
While Ghost is user-friendly, setting it up on a custom server can require a higher level of technical knowledge compared to some other platforms.
Less Community Support
The user community for Ghost is smaller compared to more established platforms like WordPress, which can make it harder to find support and resources.
Limited Ecommerce Capabilities
Ghost is primarily a publishing platform and lacks the more advanced eCommerce functionalities that other CMS platforms might offer out of the box.

Grav features and specs

Flat-file architecture
Grav is a flat-file CMS, which means it doesn't rely on a database. It stores content in files and folders, making it easy to manage, version control, and requiring less server resources.
Performance
Without a database layer, Grav can deliver faster load times and better performance, especially critical for high traffic websites.
Flexibility and Customization
Grav is highly customizable with a flexible API that allows developers to build and extend functionalities effortlessly.
Ease of Installation and Setup
Grav boasts a simple setup process. You can get started quickly without complex configurations, making it accessible for both developers and non-developers.
Strong Community and Documentation
Grav has an active community that provides robust support. The extensive documentation helps users get through the learning curve quickly.
Security
Flat-file systems like Grav are typically less vulnerable to common database-related security issues like SQL injection attacks.
Themes and Plugins
Grav offers a variety of themes and plugins that enhance its functionality, allowing users to add new features without extensive coding.

Possible disadvantages of Grav

Learning Curve
Although Grav has good documentation, it can have a steeper learning curve for those unfamiliar with flat-file CMSs or who come from traditional database-driven CMS backgrounds.
Not Ideal for Large-scale Projects
Flat-file systems can become cumbersome to manage as the scale of content grows, making Grav less suitable for large-scale websites with extensive content.
Limited Third-party Integrations
Grav may not have as many third-party integrations available compared to more established CMS platforms like WordPress, potentially limiting its functionality.
Hosting Requirements
While Grav doesn't need a database, it still requires a hosting environment that supports PHP. Some shared hosting services may not offer the ideal settings out-of-the-box.
Smaller Ecosystem
Grav has a smaller user base compared to more established CMSs, which can mean fewer community-created plugins and themes.
No Default GUI for Content Editing
Grav does not natively offer a graphical user interface for content editing, which can be a drawback for non-technical users. Though Admin Panel plugin exists, it is not default.

Analysis of Ghost

Overall verdict

Ghost is a highly regarded platform for serious bloggers and publishers who want a minimalistic yet powerful content management system. It is especially beneficial for those who prefer a distraction-free writing environment with the capability to scale and customize as their needs grow.

Why this product is good

Ghost is a popular open-source platform designed for professional bloggers and publishers. It is known for its clean design, speed, and ease of use. Ghost offers robust features for content creation, management, and distribution while focusing on providing an optimal writing experience. Additionally, Ghost is built on modern technology stacks and offers flexibility through themes and integrations. It also supports membership and subscription models, making it ideal for those looking to monetize their content.

Recommended for

Professional bloggers
Content creators looking for a minimalist interface
Publishers seeking to monetize their content
Developers looking for an open-source platform
Organizations that require a fast and reliable CMS
Writers who value a focused writing experience

Analysis of Grav

Overall verdict

Grav is an excellent choice for those who need a fast, flexible, and lightweight CMS without the complexity of a database. It's particularly beneficial for developers who appreciate customizability and control over their project configurations. However, it may not be the best option for non-technical users who require a more traditional CMS experience with extensive support and resources.

Why this product is good

Grav is a modern open-source flat-file CMS that is designed for speed, simplicity, and flexibility. It requires no database, which makes it lightweight and significantly easier to deploy. Grav offers a powerful API, integrated package manager, sophisticated caching system, and an intuitive admin panel, making it a strong choice for developers who require customizable and scalable solutions.

Recommended for

Developers looking for a fast and flexible CMS.
Users who prefer flat-file over traditional database-driven CMSs.
Projects where performance and speed are critical.
Websites with less complex needs that don't require extensive plugins or themes.

Ghost videos

+ Add

Why I Moved My Blog From WordPress to Ghost

Grav videos

+ Add

GRAV Dugout Review

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Ghost and Grav)

Grav

Blogging

78 78%

Blogging

22% 22

CMS

75 75%

CMS

25% 25

Blogging Platform

83 83%

Blogging Platform

17% 17

Website Builder

65 65%

Website Builder

35% 35

User comments

Share your experience with using Ghost and Grav. For example, how are they different and which one is better?

Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare Ghost and Grav

Ghost Reviews

Comparing 9 WordPress alternatives & competitors in 2024

Ghost specializes in creating a monetized blogging platform. Based on their subscription status, readers can create user profiles, sign up for newsletters, and browse your entire blogging calendar. The platform’s singular focus on blogging makes it great for individuals and small teams, but it lacks features like real-time collaboration that are necessary for larger companies.

Source: webflow.com

19 Best WordPress Alternatives in 2025

Ghost is known for its simplicity and focus on content creation. It's a great option for writers and creators who want a clean and distraction-free environment to publish their work.

Source: www.pixpa.com

7 Best Buy Me a Coffee Alternatives

If you don’t already have a website, Ghost may be an appealing option as a Patreon alternative. However, customizations are limited, and you’ll need to choose a pre-built design from the theme library. There are a few themes available, but most are priced from around $80 to $150. The Ghost API also gives you a way to publish content you create on the platform to another...

Source: wpforms.com

Top 10 Web Content Management Systems

Ghost is here as one of the first entries that can be classified as a pure headless CMS. Ghost is not only one of the best headless CMS options, but it also does so while being focused primarily on the blogger community. So if you have or are thinking about starting a large blogging operation featuring many different presentation layers, then Ghost is definitely for you....

Source: cloudzy.com

25+ Medium Alternative Platforms for Publishing Articles

Ghost open-source blogging and the indirect medium alternative platform. Its interface makes blogging easy for users, but also offers SEO tools and other plugins that are built into the platform. This makes it simple for users to publish high-quality content without technical difficulties.

Source: forgefusion.io

Grav Reviews

11 Popular Free And Open Source WordPress CMS alternatives in 2021

It comes with a powerful API and extensive hooks that allow for plugins to extend Grav. Flexible Twig templating allows the easy realization of your designs.

Source: medevel.com

Top 5 Open-Source CMS Platforms

As fascinating as its logo, the Grav CMS platform is another modern, sleek, and interactive cross-platform compatible platform to design and create websites. Not as popular as others in the list, i.e., WordPress, Joomla, and Drupal, this CMS platform is yet a tough competitor of the existing CMS giants. The open-source CMS platform was launched in 2014 and since then the...

Source: linuxways.net

Resources20+ Non-Traditional Tools to Make Your Website

Modern open source flat-file CMS to build faster http://s/. Grav is a fast, simple, and flexible file-based web-platform. There is zero installation required. Grav focuses primarily on your content and turns your content structure into a navigable site.

Source: vrarpioneers.com

CMS comparison 2018: The 5 most popular open source systems

Grav places a high value on speed, but doesn’t disregard the aesthetic aspect. On the official website, you can find both the installation data (a small ZIP archive) as well as individual themes that can be used to customize the design. You can also extend the functionality with more than 300 plugins, with which you can set up the backend for administration work, for...

Source: www.1and1.com

Goodbye Statamic. Hello Grav.

Whilst looking for other options, I stumbled upon Grav, which as far as I've been able to tell is incredibly similar to Statamic. It has a really nice admin interface, plugins including search, and best of all it's completely free. The community seems strong, and I've not had too many issues trying to find help. It took me the best part of a day to switch my little site here...

Source: www.leighhowells.com

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Ghost should be more popular than Grav. It has been mentiond 189 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

Ghost mentions (189)

Project of the Week: Ghost 👻
Ghost is a leading open-source publishing platform designed for modern creators, journalists, and businesses. Founded in 2013 as a non-profit organization, Ghost has grown to become a powerful alternative to traditional blogging platforms, with over 49,000 GitHub stars and a thriving ecosystem of themes and integrations. The platform focuses on providing beautiful, fast, and professional publishing tools, enabling... - Source: dev.to / 4 days ago
Save Hours Managing Ghost with These Python Scripts
I run the blog at Developer-Service.blog with a self-hosted Ghost instance. - Source: dev.to / 27 days ago
Indie Hacking with Open Source Tools: Innovating on a Budget
Modern publishing tools like Ghost accommodate sleek content presentation. - Source: dev.to / 3 months ago
Indie Hacking Success Stories with Open Source Licenses
Ghost: This open source blogging platform, available at Ghost, was kickstarted by a simple yet powerful idea—empowering writers with an elegant, customizable tool. The project’s MIT licensing has fostered a thriving community that collaborates to push the platform forward. Ghost’s journey demonstrates that when developers and users work together, innovation thrives. - Source: dev.to / 3 months ago
Learning in public
The other big option is to post blogs or notes. It's pretty simple to start a blog right here on Dev.to, or on Hashnode, two blogging platforms specifically for coding. There's also a great community platform on Codedex.io where you can write blog posts, although you do need to complete a few lessons to "unlock" the community features. In these cases, there's already an audience and community on the site, so it's... - Source: dev.to / 4 months ago

Grav mentions (54)

My blog doesn't need quality, it needs to look like it's from the 90s
Perhaps "polish" or "a sleek, modern UI" would have been slightly better wording on my part in regards to the look, but otherwise I'm quite happy that I settled on Grav and also the idea of versioning everything in Git, alongside a CI/CD pipeline, instead of one long lived instance on the server. Grav is pretty cool: https://getgrav.org/. - Source: Hacker News / 27 days ago
Ask HN: Do you still self-host a blog? What's your publishing stack?
Is there a particular stack you prefer? If JS, maybe consider Astro (for simple blogs)? It has built-in MDX support and deploys in a few seconds. If PHP, maybe https://getgrav.org/? For Go or a prebuilt binary, maybe https://gohugo.io/? - Source: Hacker News / 2 months ago
Matt Mullenweg Asks What Drama to Create in 2025, Community Reacts
There was a whole rash of them a few years back. I'm not sure if any of them took off or what. https://ghost.org/ https://strapi.io/ https://getgrav.org/ https://craftcms.com/. - Source: Hacker News / 5 months ago
Building a Simple Grav CMS Theme with Twig, PHP, and CSS
But there is a content management system that makes it easier and simpler. And this is especially true for frontend developers. It's Grav CMS. - Source: dev.to / 6 months ago
Ask HN: Why hasn't Drupal benefited from WordPress's current issues?
Good point on the timing, but I really hope Wordpress users aren't migrating to Drupal en masse. Drupal would be a very poor fit for most Wordpress-y sites (simple marketing pages, basic ecommerce, etc.). It's overkill and way too complicated and requires endless maintenance (see my rant in a sibling thread). There are a lot of better, lighter options for people who liked the ease-of-use of Wordpress.... - Source: Hacker News / 8 months ago

What are some alternatives?

When comparing Ghost and Grav, you can also consider the following products

WordPress - WordPress is web software you can use to create a beautiful website or blog. We like to say that WordPress is both free and priceless at the same time.

Medium - Welcome to Medium, a place to read, write, and interact with the stories that matter most to you.

Drupal - Drupal - the leading open-source CMS for ambitious digital experiences that reach your audience across multiple channels. Because we all have different needs, Drupal allows you to create a unique space in a world of cookie-cutter solutions.

SquareSpace - Squarespace is the easiest way for anyone to create an exceptional website. Pages, galleries, blogs, e-commerce, domains, hosting, analytics, 24/7 support - all included.

Joomla - Joomla! is the mobile-ready and user-friendly way to build your website. Choose from thousands of features and designs. Joomla! is free and open source.

Jekyll - Jekyll is a simple, blog aware, static site generator.