How to Choose the Best CMS for Your Blog Beyond Ghost
If you’ve been blogging with Ghost but feel it may no longer suit your needs, it’s time to explore alternative CMS platforms. With so many options available, deciding which suits your blog can feel overwhelming. This guide will help you methodically evaluate your requirements and select from the many Ghost alternatives.
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Consider Your Technical Skills and Desired Level of Control
Are you comfortable coding and building sites from scratch, or prefer a more visual drag-and-drop interface? Your existing technical abilities should guide whether a CMS like WordPress, Drupal, or Hugo is suitable. The latter two offer immense customization potential but steeper learning curves. Meanwhile, WordPress strikes a good balance with its mix of visual and code-based customizations.
Evaluate Your Content Needs and Growth Goals
Will your blog focus more on articles or multimedia? Do you foresee rapidly scaling in the future? These factors impact database and hosting requirements. While simple now, Ghost may not scale as well as self-hosted WordPress or a static CMS like Hugo. Consider future proofing your choice.
Review Design Flexibility and Theming Options
If customizing every pixel is important, ensure your chosen CMS supports this level of design control. WordPress, Drupal and Hugo offer unlimited design flexibility through themes. However, some like Jekyll have less robust theme ecosystems initially. Consider long term design support.
Check Plugin and Module Availability
From comments to analytics, important features are often added via extensions. Compare extension libraries to see which CMS is best supported. WordPress is unmatched, while others like Hugo require additional services. Ensure your top plugins exist or have alternatives.
Consider Costs of Self-Hosting or Managed Options
While open-source CMS is free, hosting and upgrades require budgeting. Research the total costs of each option, including potential managed or hosted plans from companies like Kinsta. Some CMS may be more cost-effective in the long run.
By systematically weighing these key factors, you can determine which CMS will be the best long-term fit for your unique blogging needs and goals. Your blog platform can power your success for years with the right choice.
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