Ghost vs Jekyll
Which should you use? A side-by-side look at what each one does, who it suits, what it costs, how hard it is to set up, and where each falls short.
Open source · MIT
Open-source publishing platform for blogs, memberships, subscriptions and newsletters.
Open source · MIT
A Ruby tool that turns Markdown and templates into a static website, with blog support.
Our verdict
Ghost is a full publishing platform with a database, admin dashboard, memberships and newsletters, and you can self-host it or pay for its managed service. Jekyll is a build tool that turns Markdown files into a folder of static HTML pages with no database, so it suits developers or writers who want a simple, hosted-anywhere blog. Both are free, MIT-licensed and need some technical comfort, but they solve different problems.
Pick Ghost if you want to run a blog or newsletter with subscriptions, memberships and an editing interface, and you are comfortable with a server or prefer a paid managed service.
Pick Jekyll if you want a simple blog or website built from Markdown files, hosted as plain static pages without a database, and you are comfortable with Ruby and the command line.
| Key difference | Ghost | Jekyll |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | Publishing platform for blogs, memberships, subscriptions and newsletters | Static site generator that builds plain HTML from Markdown and templates |
| Dynamic features | Handles memberships and subscriptions as part of the product | Output is static files, so no user accounts or live database queries |
| Language and setup | Built with Node.js; self-host via command line or pay for Ghost(Pro) | Requires a Ruby environment and command line setup |
| Hosting needs | Self-hosted server or paid managed service | Hostable anywhere as plain files, no database needed |
| Community size | About 55.6k GitHub stars, updated in the last day | About 51.7k GitHub stars, last code update 16 days ago |
Written with AI from both products' catalogue entries · updated 2026-10-29
Who each one is for
Choose Ghost if you need…
- Writers or publishers who want to run their own blog or newsletter site
- Developers who want a Node.js-based headless CMS to serve content through an API
- People who want to self-host and control their own publishing setup
- Teams that would rather pay for a managed service (Ghost(Pro)) than run servers
Choose Jekyll if you need…
- Developers who want a blog or simple website built from plain text files
- People comfortable with Ruby tooling and the command line
- Writers who prefer Markdown and want static HTML output
- Projects that need hosting without a database or server-side code
Side-by-side
| Ghost | Jekyll | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | App | Dev tool |
| Price | Free and open source | Free and open source |
| Licence | MIT | MIT |
| GitHub stars | 55.7k | 51.7k |
| Setup difficulty | Intermediate | Intermediate |
| How you get it | Install with a package manager | Install with a package manager |
| Main language | TypeScript | Ruby |
| Last code update | 4 days ago | 23 days ago |
What each one is
Ghost
Ghost is a free, open-source publishing system for running a website, blog or newsletter. It handles writing and publishing content, and the README also describes memberships and subscriptions. The project is built with Node.js and is offered as a self-hosted install or as the managed Ghost(Pro) service.
Jekyll
Jekyll is a static site generator written in Ruby. You write content in files such as Markdown, combine it with templates, and it builds a folder of plain HTML pages that can be hosted anywhere. The description calls it blog-aware, and its topics include blog engine and Liquid templating. The README was not included in full, so details beyond the metadata are limited.
Best for
Ghost
- Writers or publishers who want to run their own blog or newsletter site
- Developers who want a Node.js-based headless CMS to serve content through an API
- People who want to self-host and control their own publishing setup
- Teams that would rather pay for a managed service (Ghost(Pro)) than run servers
Jekyll
- Developers who want a blog or simple website built from plain text files
- People comfortable with Ruby tooling and the command line
- Writers who prefer Markdown and want static HTML output
- Projects that need hosting without a database or server-side code
Strengths
Ghost
- Open source under the MIT license, so you can inspect, modify and self-host it
- The README points to official docs, a community forum and a CLI for install and upgrades
- Actively maintained, with a recent release (v6.73.0) and a recent push to the repository
Jekyll
- Widely used open-source project with a large community (about 51,700 stars)
- Released under the permissive MIT license
- Produces plain static files that are simple to host and hard to break
Not ideal for
Ghost
- People who want a no-setup, point-and-click site with no server work and no interest in managed hosting (Ghost(Pro) is the README's simpler option, but it is a paid service)
- Anyone looking for a general-purpose website builder unrelated to publishing; Ghost is focused on content and memberships
- Beginners who do not want to use a terminal, since the README's install path uses the command line
Jekyll
- Non-technical users who need a point-and-click site builder, since setup requires Ruby and the command line
- Sites that need dynamic features like user accounts or live database queries, since output is static files
- Teams that want a hosted service rather than running a build tool themselves
Trade-offs
Ghost
- Self-hosting requires comfort with the command line, Node.js and server setup
- The README notes that the managed Ghost(Pro) service is the easiest route and is paid, so the free path takes more work
- The README is truncated here, so detailed system requirements and feature lists could not be fully verified
Jekyll
- Requires a Ruby environment, which adds setup work for non-developers
- README content was truncated, so detailed feature coverage could not be verified here
Getting started
Ghost
Install the Ghost CLI globally
npm install ghost-cli -gInstall a local instance
ghost install localJekyll
Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/jekyll/jekyllFrequently asked questions
Should I use Ghost or Jekyll?
Ghost is a full publishing platform with a database, admin dashboard, memberships and newsletters, and you can self-host it or pay for its managed service. Jekyll is a build tool that turns Markdown files into a folder of static HTML pages with no database, so it suits developers or writers who want a simple, hosted-anywhere blog. Both are free, MIT-licensed and need some technical comfort, but they solve different problems. Pick Ghost if you want to run a blog or newsletter with subscriptions, memberships and an editing interface, and you are comfortable with a server or prefer a paid managed service. Pick Jekyll if you want a simple blog or website built from Markdown files, hosted as plain static pages without a database, and you are comfortable with Ruby and the command line.
What is the difference between Ghost and Jekyll?
Ghost: Open-source publishing platform for blogs, memberships, subscriptions and newsletters. Jekyll: A Ruby tool that turns Markdown and templates into a static website, with blog support. Ghost suits writers or publishers who want to run their own blog or newsletter site, while Jekyll suits developers who want a blog or simple website built from plain text files.
Are Ghost and Jekyll free?
Ghost: Free and open source. Jekyll: Free and open source.
Is Ghost or Jekyll more popular?
Ghost has more GitHub stars (55.7k) than Jekyll (51.7k). Popularity isn't the same as fit — check which one matches your use case above.
What are other alternatives to Ghost and Jekyll?
Other options people compare them with include Hexo, Gatsby, VuePress, Eleventy, Mitosis.
Keep comparing
Built from our catalogue entries for both products: open-source details come from each project's README (AI-assisted, refreshed weekly) and GitHub data; AI-tool details are editorial. Spotted something wrong? Let us know from either product's page.