Productivity
Self-host Ghost on a VPS
A fast, modern publishing platform and newsletter engine.
Publish a blog or run paid subscriptions on software that is built for writers. Clean, quick and yours to own end to end.
Why self-host Ghost?
Ghost is lighter and faster than a plugin-stacked CMS, and self-hosting means your subscriber list — a business asset — stays entirely in your hands.
How to install Ghost
- 1
Provision a VPS
Ghost is efficient; a 1–2 GB instance is plenty to begin.
- 2
Install Node and MySQL
Ghost runs on Node with a MySQL/MariaDB database.
- 3
Install the Ghost CLI
The official CLI sets up and manages the site for you.
- 4
Point a domain and enable TLS
Ghost manages certificates automatically during setup.
- 5
Write and publish
Use the built-in editor; connect email for newsletters.
Practical tips
- Keep the content directory backed up — it holds themes and uploads.
- Use object storage for images as your archive grows.
- Ghost supports membership and Stripe payments if you want paid subscriptions.
Frequently asked questions
- Can I migrate from WordPress?
- Yes, Ghost provides an importer for WordPress exports.
- Does it do newsletters?
- Yes, newsletter delivery and member subscriptions are built in.
- How fast is it?
- Very — Ghost is designed to be lean, and it flies on a small VPS.
Looking for something else? Popular alternatives include WordPress, WriteFreely, Hugo (static) — browse all app guides.