Greetings, friends!

Over the years, WordPress has transformed from a lightweight blogging tool into a heavy, complex system. Slower loading times, the constant requirement to update dozens of plugins, and security risks are leading authors and digital publications to look for faster, safer, and more specialized alternatives.

Ghost is a modern, open-source CMS built on Node.js. It was designed specifically for content creators, bloggers, and online publishers. In this article, we will discuss why Ghost outperforms WordPress in the blogging space and walk through deploying it step-by-step on a Virtual Private Server (VPS).

Key Takeaways: Core Conclusions

Speed and Out-of-the-Box Performance: Powered by Node.js and MySQL, Ghost delivers page rendering speeds up to 15–20 times faster than a standard WordPress setup, eliminating the need for complicated caching plugins.
Built-In Monetization and Newsletters: Unlike WordPress—which relies on paid third-party add-ons like WooCommerce or MemberPress for subscriptions and paid tiers—Ghost includes native membership management and email newsletter delivery out of the box.
Ease of Maintenance: Ghost is deployed via its official CLI tool, which automatically configures Nginx and issues Let's Encrypt SSL certificates, reducing ongoing technical maintenance to a minimum.

Video Installation Guide

We recorded a video demonstrating the complete installation process of Ghost CMS on an Ubuntu 26.04 server, along with practical examples of customizing your site. You can watch it right here:

Comparison Matrix: Ghost vs WordPress

Criterion	Ghost	WordPress
Tech Stack	Node.js (JavaScript) + MySQL	PHP + MySQL / MariaDB
Loading Speed (TTFB)	Instant (< 50–100 ms)	Moderate / Slow (requires caching plugins)
Security	High (minimal attack surface)	Vulnerable (due to thousands of third-party plugins)
Built-In Features	Native SEO, social cards, email newsletters, paid memberships	Basic editor (everything else requires plugins)
Content Editor	Minimalist, card-based editor	Gutenberg / Elementor / Divi

Server Requirements for Installing Ghost

To properly run an official installation using Ghost-CLI, you need the following environment:

OS: Ubuntu 22.04 LTS – 26.04 LTS (officially supported base).
System Resources: Minimum 1 vCPU and 1–2 GB RAM.
Web Server: Nginx.
Database: MySQL 8.0.
Runtime: Node.js (current LTS release).
Domain Name: An active domain pointing to your VPS IP address via an A record.

Step-by-Step Guide: Installing Ghost on a VPS

1. Update System & Create a Dedicated User (Ubuntu Setup)

Connect to your server over SSH and update your system packages:

Bash
sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y

Create a new system user (Ghost-CLI strictly forbids running commands as root or as a user named ghost):

Bash
sudo adduser adminuser
sudo usermod -aG sudo adminuser
su - adminuser

2. Install Core Dependencies (Nginx, MySQL, Node.js)

Install the Nginx web server and MySQL Server:

Bash
sudo apt install nginx mysql-server -y

Add the official Node.js (LTS) repository and install Node.js:

Bash
curl -fsSL https://deb.nodesource.com/setup_20.x | sudo -E bash -
sudo apt install -y nodejs

3. Configure MySQL

Access the MySQL shell:

Bash
sudo mysql

Set up root authentication parameters (replace your_password with a strong password):

SQL
ALTER USER 'root'@'localhost' IDENTIFIED WITH mysql_native_password BY 'your_password';
FLUSH PRIVILEGES;
EXIT;

4. Install Ghost-CLI

Install the official global command-line tool for Ghost management:

Bash
sudo npm install ghost-cli@latest -g

5. Deploy Ghost

Create a directory for your publication and assign proper ownership permissions:

Bash
sudo mkdir -p /var/www/ghost
sudo chown adminuser:adminuser /var/www/ghost
sudo chmod 775 /var/www/ghost
cd /var/www/ghost

Launch the interactive installer:

Bash
ghost install

The wizard will prompt you for the following inputs:

Blog URL: Enter your domain (e.g., [https://yourdomain.com](https://yourdomain.com)).
MySQL hostname: Press Enter (localhost).
MySQL username / password: Enter root and the password created in Step 3.
Ghost database name: Press Enter.
Set up Nginx / SSL / Systemd?: Answer y (Yes) to all prompts.

Completing Setup

Once installation completes, Ghost automatically sets up an Nginx virtual host, requests a free Let's Encrypt SSL certificate, and configures a systemd service.

Navigate to [https://yourdomain.com/ghost](https://yourdomain.com/ghost) in your web browser to complete the administrator setup and access your dashboard.

FAQ: Frequently Asked Questions

Is Mailgun required to run Ghost?
For system transactional emails (such as password resets and author invites), you can use any standard SMTP server. However, for delivering native email newsletters to subscribers, Ghost integrates directly with the Mailgun API to ensure high deliverability rates.
How do I update Ghost in the future?
Updating is handled with a single command. Navigate to /var/www/ghost under your non-root user and run:
Bash
ghost update
Can I migrate an existing blog from WordPress to Ghost?
Yes. The Ghost team maintains an official WordPress plugin (Export Ghost Content) that exports your posts, categories, tags, and media into a formatted JSON archive ready for Ghost's importer.
Can I use the server IP address instead of a domain?
If you simply want to test the installation, yes. However, for production use, a properly configured domain name is strongly recommended.

Conclusion

Ghost is an excellent choice for authors, developers, and media outlets that value speed, security, and a clean writing interface without the overhead of WordPress plugin management.

Thanks to its optimized Node.js stack, Ghost handles server resources efficiently, allowing it to sustain traffic spikes easily—even on entry-level virtual server configurations.

If you are planning to launch your blog or media portal on Ghost and need a reliable server, check out NVMe VPS and Cloud Servers from MivoCloud. We provide pure KVM virtualization, high single-core CPU performance, and fast Enterprise NVMe storage to ensure instant page loads for your blog 24/7.

Article Author: Anatolie Cohaniuc

Ghost vs WordPress: Why Choose Ghost and How to Deploy It on a VPS?