WordPress vs. Ghost vs. Joomla: For hosting providers, WordPress offers the broadest demand and tooling, Ghost delivers the fastest publishing stack with Node.js, and Joomla supplies robust built-in features for complex sites. Choose WordPress for general-purpose hosting, Ghost for high-speed blogs, and Joomla for structured, multilingual or enterprise-like projects.
If you’re a hosting provider evaluating the best CMS to support at scale, the WordPress vs Ghost vs Joomla debate centers on performance, stack compatibility, maintenance overhead, and market demand. This guide compares each CMS from a hosting-first perspective so you can optimize infrastructure, reduce support tickets, and attract the right customers.
Quick Verdict: Which CMS Fits Which Hosting Provider?
- WordPress: Best all-rounder for shared and managed hosting; unmatched plugin ecosystem, broad demand, easy onboarding. Ideal for blogs, business sites, WooCommerce, membership sites, and agencies.
- Ghost: Best for performance-focused publishers on VPS/cloud; Node.js stack, minimal overhead, built-in memberships/newsletters. Ideal for content teams who want speed and simplicity over plugins.
- Joomla: Best for structured, multilingual, ACL-heavy sites; powerful core, fewer extensions than WordPress, steeper learning curve. Ideal for government/education/NGO portals and agencies needing granular control.
What Matters to Hosting Providers When Choosing a CMS
- Stack compatibility: PHP/MySQL (WordPress, Joomla) vs Node.js/Postgres (Ghost). Impacts server templates, cPanel/Plesk support, and automation.
- Performance per dollar: Memory footprint, CPU patterns, cache compatibility (OPcache, Redis, FastCGI cache), and CDN friendliness.
- Security posture: Update cadence, plugin/theme hygiene, WAF rules, brute-force vectors, and default hardening.
- Management at scale: CLI/REST automation, staging, backups, webhooks, multisite, and containerization.
- Support burden: Typical user mistakes, common errors, migration complexity, and documentation maturity.
- Market demand: What your customers ask for, available 1‑click installers, and agency ecosystem.
WordPress: Market-Leading, Extensible, Hosting-Friendly
WordPress dominates CMS market share and works seamlessly on standard Linux hosting. For providers, it’s the safest bet for demand, tooling, and cross-compatibility.
Architecture & Stack
- Runtime: PHP 8.x with OPcache
- Database: MySQL/MariaDB
- Web server: NGINX, Apache, or LiteSpeed
- Caching: Object cache (Redis/Memcached), page cache (server or plugin), CDN compatible
Installations are straightforward with cPanel/Plesk or WP-CLI. Most backup, staging, and WAF tools support WordPress out of the box.
Performance & Scalability
- Scales well with full-page caching and object caching
- HTTP/2/3 + Brotli + CDN deliver global speed gains
- WooCommerce or heavy plugins require CPU/RAM planning and query optimization
Security & Maintenance
- Core is secure when updated; plugins/themes are the primary risk surface
- Harden with least-privilege file perms, disable XML-RPC if unneeded, rate-limit logins, and deploy WAF
- Automate updates with safe staging and backups to reduce ticket volume
Ecosystem & Use Cases
- Largest plugin/theme ecosystem and agency network
- Best choice for general-purpose sites, eCommerce, LMS, and membership portals
- Low friction migrations attract SMBs and freelancers
Ghost: Lightning-Fast Publishing for Modern Stacks
Ghost is a performance-first CMS for publishers. It’s minimal, secure by design, and built on Node.js. Hosting Ghost shines on VPS and cloud instances with proper process management.
Architecture & Stack
- Runtime: Node.js LTS
- Database: SQLite (default) or PostgreSQL
- Reverse proxy: NGINX commonly used in front
- Process: systemd/PM2 for lifecycle management
Shared hosting is uncommon for Ghost due to Node.js requirements. Offer it via managed VPS, containers, or dedicated Node.js plans.
Performance & Publishing Experience
- Extremely fast TTFB and low memory footprint per blog
- Markdown-first editor, built-in newsletters, memberships, and paywalls
- Fewer moving parts reduce cache complexity
Security & Maintenance
- Small attack surface; fewer plugins to patch
- Keep Node.js and Ghost versions in lockstep with LTS releases
- Snapshot backups and process monitoring lower firefighting
Ecosystem & Use Cases
- Lean theme and integration ecosystem via webhooks and API
- Ideal for media sites, newsletters, and creators
- Not intended for heavy eCommerce or complex data modeling
Joomla: Structured, Secure, and Feature-Rich Core
Joomla’s strength is in its powerful core: native multilingual, granular ACL, and flexible content types without heavy plugins. It’s a fit for organizations needing control and compliance.
Architecture & Stack
- Runtime: PHP 8.x
- Database: MySQL/MariaDB (PostgreSQL support varies by extension readiness)
- Servers: NGINX or Apache
- Admin: More options in-core vs WordPress; steeper learning curve for beginners
Performance & Security
- Solid performance with OPcache + page/object caching
- ACL helps minimize privilege misuse; updates are predictable
- Extension ecosystem is smaller, generally curated
Ecosystem & Use Cases
- Strong for government/education/NGO portals
- Good for multilingual and structured content
- Moderate marketplace; fewer turn-key solutions than WordPress
Feature-by-Feature Comparison for Hosting Providers
- Speed out of the box: Ghost (best), WordPress/Joomla (good with caching)
- Ease for beginners: WordPress (best), Ghost (simple but requires VPS), Joomla (steeper)
- Extensibility: WordPress (largest), Joomla (moderate), Ghost (lean, API-forward)
- eCommerce: WordPress (WooCommerce), Joomla (extensions), Ghost (not a focus)
- Editorial workflow: Ghost (clean, memberships), WordPress (Gutenberg + plugins), Joomla (granular ACL)
- Security surface: Ghost (smallest), Joomla (strong core), WordPress (depends on plugin hygiene)
- Hosting compatibility: WordPress/Joomla (shared + managed), Ghost (VPS/container)
- Automation: WordPress (WP-CLI, REST), Ghost (CLI + systemd/PM2), Joomla (CLI and APIs)
- Support burden: Lowest with Ghost/Joomla (fewer plugin issues), moderate with disciplined WordPress stacks
Hosting & Deployment Notes
WordPress Hosting Checklist
- PHP 8.x with OPcache; persistent object cache (Redis)
- Server-level full-page caching (NGINX FastCGI/LiteSpeed) or reputable plugin
- CDN + HTTP/2/3 + Brotli; image/WebP optimization
- WAF, login rate limiting, MFA, least-privilege file perms
- Automated backups, staging, and safe auto-updates
Ghost Hosting Checklist
- Node.js LTS; systemd/PM2 for process supervision
- NGINX reverse proxy with SSL; configure X-Forwarded-* headers
- SQLite for small sites; PostgreSQL for larger teams
- SMTP configured for newsletters and transactional email
- Snapshots, health checks, and rolling updates
# NGINX reverse proxy for Ghost (example)
server {
server_name blog.example.com;
listen 443 ssl http2;
ssl_certificate /etc/letsencrypt/live/blog.example.com/fullchain.pem;
ssl_certificate_key /etc/letsencrypt/live/blog.example.com/privkey.pem;
location / {
proxy_set_header Host $host;
proxy_set_header X-Forwarded-Proto $scheme;
proxy_set_header X-Forwarded-For $proxy_add_x_forwarded_for;
proxy_pass http://127.0.0.1:2368;
}
}Joomla Hosting Checklist
- PHP 8.x with OPcache; MySQL/MariaDB tuned (InnoDB buffer pool)
- NGINX/Apache with caching; GZIP/Brotli and CDN
- Hardened admin access, MFA, regular extension audits
- Automated updates, backups, and staging for major version jumps
Real-World Provider Scenarios
- Shared hosting at scale: Lead with WordPress and Joomla 1‑click installers. Offer curated plugin/theme lists and server-side caching to keep loads stable.
- Managed VPS/cloud: Provide WordPress stacks with Redis + NGINX and Ghost via Node.js templates. Use IaC (e.g., Ansible) for repeatable deployments.
- Agency/multisite portfolios: WordPress Multisite or Joomla for ACL-heavy clients; separate Ghost instances for editorial brands focused on newsletters.
Pricing and Total Cost of Ownership (TCO)
- Licensing: All three are open-source; core is free.
- Operational cost: WordPress can incur plugin/theme support; Ghost reduces plugin overhead but needs VPS-level ops; Joomla sits in between with a stronger core.
- Support: Clear knowledge bases and safe auto-updates cut tickets across all stacks.
How YouStable Helps Hosting Providers and Site Owners
At YouStable, we optimize for the CMS you choose. Our WordPress plans include Redis object caching, NVMe storage, CDN integration, and hardened WAF. For Ghost, we provide Node.js-ready VPS with NGINX, free SSL, and automated backups. Joomla users get PHP 8.x, OPcache tuning, and staging environments. Need help migrating? Our team handles zero-downtime moves and performance audits.
FAQs: WordPress vs Ghost vs Joomla for Hosting Providers
Is WordPress or Ghost faster on the same hardware?
Ghost is typically faster out of the box due to its lean Node.js stack and minimal abstraction. WordPress can match it under cache with OPcache, Redis, and full-page caching. For dynamic workloads (like WooCommerce), sizing and database tuning matter more than the CMS label.
Can I run Ghost on shared hosting?
Generally no. Ghost expects Node.js, a reverse proxy, and process supervision, which are uncommon on shared plans. Use a managed VPS or container-based hosting that supports Node.js. Providers can offer Ghost via a prebuilt image with systemd/PM2 and NGINX.
Which CMS is best for multilingual sites?
Joomla includes multilingual features in core and offers granular ACL, making it a strong default for international sites. WordPress can match it with mature plugins and proper configuration. Ghost supports multiple languages but isn’t aimed at complex multilingual taxonomies.
What reduces WordPress support tickets on shared hosting?
Server-level page caching, Redis object cache, safe auto-updates, curated plugin/theme allowlists, WebP/image optimization, and a clear onboarding guide. Add rate-limited logins, automatic backups, and staging to prevent risky live changes.
Is Joomla still a good choice in 2026?
Yes. Joomla remains a capable, secure CMS with a powerful core, especially for organizations needing ACL, structured content, and multilingual out of the box. While its ecosystem is smaller than WordPress, it delivers control and stability many institutional users prefer.
Final Recommendation
If you host broad audiences, prioritize WordPress for demand and tooling. For premium publishing on VPS/cloud, offer Ghost. For structured, multilingual, or ACL-heavy projects, support Joomla. Align your server templates, caching strategy, and automation with each CMS, and you’ll reduce support load while improving customer satisfaction.
