Directus vs Ghost
Comparing two open source alternatives to WordPress . Use the comparison below to decide which one fits your needs.
Directus
The flexible backend for all your projects 🐰 Turn your DB into a headless CMS, admin panels, or apps with a custom UI, instant APIs, auth & more.
Ghost
MITGhost is an independent open-source publishing platform for modern creators. Run blogs, newsletters, memberships, and paid subscriptions all in one place.
Side-by-side comparison
| Directus | Ghost | |
|---|---|---|
| License | — | MIT |
| Self-hostable | No | Yes |
| GitHub Stars | 37,276 | 54,734 |
| Forks | 4,898 | 11,874 |
| Open Issues | 402 | 148 |
| Last Commit | Aug 10, 2026 | Aug 10, 2026 |
| First Released | Dec 12, 2012 | May 4, 2013 |
| Categories | ||
| Tags | — |
Similar open source alternatives
Strapi
Open-source headless CMS built with JavaScript and TypeScript — fully customizable and developer-first. Self-hostable alternative to WordPress and Contentful.
WordPress
EmDash
A full-stack TypeScript CMS built on Astro and Cloudflare, reimagining WordPress with serverless, type-safe foundations.
WordPress
FlatPress
FlatPress is a lightweight, easy-to-set-up flat-file blogging engine.
WordPress
Craft.js
React framework for building extensible drag-and-drop page editors. Headless, framework-based approach with full plugin support.
Builder.io
TinaCMS
A fully open-source headless CMS with Git support, Markdown editing, and live visual preview for React-based sites.
Contentful
Payload
Payload is an open-source, TypeScript-first headless CMS and application framework built on Next.js, Express, and React.
Contentful