Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Ghost VS HTMLy

Compare Ghost VS HTMLy and see what are their differences

Ghost logo 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.

HTMLy logo HTMLy

HTMLy is an open source databaseless blogging platform. A Flat-File Blog and Flat-File CMS written in PHP prioritizes simplicity and speed.
  • Ghost Landing page
    Landing page //
    2022-10-10
  • HTMLy Landing page
    Landing page //
    2021-07-27

Ghost

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

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.

HTMLy features and specs

  • Simplicity
    HTMLy is designed for simplicity, making it easy to set up and use without a complicated installation process, which is ideal for users who are not tech-savvy.
  • Flat-file CMS
    Being a flat-file CMS, HTMLy does not rely on a database, which reduces server requirements, improves load times, and simplifies backups and migrations.
  • Performance
    Without the need for database queries, HTMLy can deliver faster performance and reduced server resource usage, making it suitable for small to medium-sized websites.
  • Markdown Support
    HTMLy supports Markdown, which allows content creators to write and format text easily without having to delve into HTML.
  • SEO-friendly
    The CMS is designed to be search engine-friendly, with options for managing SEO elements such as meta tags and URLs to improve search visibility.

Possible disadvantages of HTMLy

  • Limited Features
    Compared to full-fledged CMS like WordPress, HTMLy offers fewer features and plugins, which could be restrictive for complex websites with advanced functionality needs.
  • Customization
    While HTMLy provides basic theme support, customization options are limited, which might require technical skills to modify themes or implement custom features.
  • Community and Support
    The user community and official support for HTMLy might not be as extensive as more popular CMS options, which could be challenging when seeking help or resources.
  • Scalability
    As a flat-file CMS, HTMLy may face limitations in scalability for very large websites or those expecting significant traffic spikes that require more robust infrastructure.

Ghost videos

Why I Moved My Blog From WordPress to Ghost

More videos:

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

HTMLy videos

No HTMLy videos yet. You could help us improve this page by suggesting one.

Add video

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Ghost and HTMLy)
Blogging
97 97%
3% 3
CMS
97 97%
3% 3
Blogging Platform
98 98%
2% 2
Website Builder
91 91%
9% 9

User comments

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Reviews

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

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

HTMLy Reviews

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

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Ghost seems to be more popular. It has been mentiond 187 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 (187)

  • Indie Hacking with Open Source Tools: Innovating on a Budget
    Modern publishing tools like Ghost accommodate sleek content presentation. - Source: dev.to / 2 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 / 2 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 / 3 months ago
  • Using GitHub as a Free Content Management System
    Under a lot of other circumstances, I’d have simply used a hosted solution like Ghost, but I really wanted to embrace the file-over-app philosophy, especially After the recent controversies surrounding certain software products suddenly ceasing support. - Source: dev.to / 3 months ago
  • WordPress Is in Trouble
    There is Ghost at least: https://ghost.org/ https://github.com/TryGhost/Ghost However, it has recently shifted to more limited audience. (payed subscription-based content with different tiers). - Source: Hacker News / 4 months ago
View more

HTMLy mentions (0)

We have not tracked any mentions of HTMLy yet. Tracking of HTMLy recommendations started around Mar 2021.

What are some alternatives?

When comparing Ghost and HTMLy, 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.

Bludit - Bludit is a web application to build your own website or blog in seconds, it's completely free and open source. Markdown support.

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

Grav - The modern open source flat-file CMS

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.

BoidCMS - Flat file CMS for building simple websites and blogs.