Software Alternatives & Startups

jekcms VS Ghost

Compare jekcms VS Ghost and see what are their differences

jekcms

jekcms is a next-generation, smart CMS for standard PHP + MySQL hosting: posts, pages, images and comments in one panel, with SEO and image optimization built in.

Rating
0 reviews
Pricing
Freemium $39 / Annually (Personal, 1 website (first year))
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.

Rating
0 reviews
Pricing
Open source Paid Free trial $36 / Monthly (100k views/month, 2 users)

Which is more popular?

Based on our record, Ghost seems to be more popular. It has been mentioned 197 times since March 2021.

social mentions
0 vs 197
Blogging Platform popularity
1% vs 99%
alternatives listed
13 vs 240+

Base details

Website, pricing, platforms and company facts side by side.

jekcms
Ghost
Website jekcms.com ghost.org
Pricing
Freemium $39 / Annually (Personal, 1 website (first year)) Official pricing
Open source Paid Free trial $36 / Monthly (100k views/month, 2 users) Official pricing
Platforms
Web Self Hosted
—
Company Startup from Turkey · 1 - 9 employees · 2026 Startup from the United Kingdom
Listed in

About jekcms and Ghost

In their own words, as submitted to SaaSHub.

jekcms
Ghost

jekcms is a self-hosted content management system written in PHP 8 with MySQL or MariaDB. It is built for blogs, news sites and product review sites, and runs on ordinary shared hosting without Composer, Node or a build step. Features that are usually added through plugins are part of the core:...

Read more about jekcms

No description of Ghost yet.

Features and specs

What each product offers, as listed by its team.

jekcms 12 features
Ghost 5 features
  • SEO
    Live SEO score in the editor, XML sitemaps, Schema.org, Open Graph, canonical, hreflang
  • Image optimisation
    AVIF and WebP conversion on upload, lazy loading
  • Caching
    Full-page cache in the core, no plugin needed
  • Themes
    15 themes, drag-and-drop layout, live preview before saving
  • Analytics
    Cookie-free analytics; data stays on your server
  • AI drafts
    Your own key (Gemini, OpenAI, Claude, Groq, Cohere); editor approval required
  • WordPress import
    Posts, pages, media and comments in one file
  • Automation
    REST API, signed webhooks, MCP server
  • Security
    Two-factor sign-in, user roles, daily backups, signed updates with rollback
  • Hosting
    PHP 8, MySQL 5.7+ or MariaDB 10.3+, works on shared hosting
  • Languages
    English and Turkish interface
  • Free edition
    1 site, no time limit, no card
  • 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

  • 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.

Analysis

An editorial look at what each product does well and who it suits.

jekcms
Ghost

No analysis of jekcms yet.

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

Videos

Walkthroughs and reviews on video.

jekcms 1 video + Add
Ghost 2 videos + Add

What is jekcms? The AI-Assisted CMS With No Plugins to Buy | WordPress Alternative

Why I Moved My Blog From WordPress to Ghost

More videos

  • - Ghost review - CMS for creators to build a membership

Category popularity

How often each product is chosen within a category, 0–100% relative to the other.

Score bands 0–20 21–40 41–50 51–60 61–100
jekcms
Ghost
1% 1%
99% 99%
1% 1%
99% 99%
1% 1%
CMS
99% 99%
3% 3%
97% 97%

Questions & Answers

As answered by people managing jekcms and Ghost.

Who are some of the biggest customers of your product?

jekcms's answer

N/A because for perfornal data

What makes your product unique?

jekcms's answer

Most WordPress sites assemble SEO, caching, image optimisation, analytics and security from separate plugins, each with its own updates and licence. In jekcms these are part of the core, and the premium themes and plugins are included in the licence. It still runs on ordinary PHP shared hosting, with no Composer, Node or build step.

Why should a person choose your product over its competitors?

jekcms's answer

If you run a blog, news site or review site and want speed and SEO without managing a plugin stack, jekcms covers that out of the box. You keep your own hosting and data, the free edition runs one site with no time limit, paid licences are yearly without automatic renewal, and moving from WordPress takes a single file.

How would you describe the primary audience of your product?

jekcms's answer

Bloggers, independent news publishers, product review and affiliate sites, AdSense publishers, and small agencies that build content sites for clients (the Professional licence covers 10 sites).

What's the story behind your product?

jekcms's answer

I'm Celil, a developer from Ankara, Turkey. I kept seeing content sites slow down and break under plugin updates, so in January 2026 I started building a CMS where SEO, speed and security are part of the core. It has had more than 680 releases since then, built and maintained by me.

Which are the primary technologies used for building your product?

jekcms's answer

Bloggers, independent news publishers, product review and affiliate sites, AdSense publishers, and small agencies that build content sites for clients (the Professional licence covers 10 sites).

User comments

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

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Reviews and articles

External articles and on-site reviews we used to compare the two products.

jekcms no reviews yet
Ghost no reviews yet

We have no reviews of jekcms yet. Be the first one to post

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    www.pixpa.com · Oct 2024

    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.

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    wpforms.com · Mar 2024

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View more

Social recommendations and mentions

Recommendations tracked on public social media and blogs since March 2021.

jekcms 0 mentions
Ghost 197 mentions

Tracking jekcms since Oct 2026.

  • At 19, founder raises $11M for Ghost, maker of a $3,499 computer for personal AI
    I'm curious...isn't the name `ghost` an infringement between ghost, the app / CMS alternative to WordPress? https://ghost.org/. - Source: Hacker News / 8 days ago
  • Local Journalism Is How Democracy Shows Up Close to Home
    Digital production has lowered the cost, and the Ghost platform in particular is a great value for small publishers, bundling together the blog, newsletter and subscriptions in one package, even now including ActivityPub federation. And... - Source: Hacker News / 9 months ago
  • Bye Bye Big Tech: How I Migrated to an Almost All-EU Stack (and Saved 500€/Year)
    Https://ghost.org — Open-source run by a non-profit headquartered in Singapore. - Source: Hacker News / 10 months ago

View more

Alternatives to jekcms and Ghost

When comparing jekcms and Ghost, 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.

    Compare WordPress to jekcms or Ghost:

  • 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.

    Compare Joomla to jekcms or Ghost:

  • Medium

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

    Compare Medium to jekcms or Ghost:

  • 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.

    Compare Drupal to jekcms or Ghost:

  • Grav

    The modern open source flat-file CMS

    Compare Grav to jekcms or Ghost:

  • Blogger

    Publish your passions, your way. Create a unique and beautiful blog. It’s easy and free.

    Compare Blogger to jekcms or Ghost: