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Best "Free" selfhosted alternative of WordPress?
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Best "Free" selfhosted alternative of WordPress?

sandozsandoz Veteran
edited October 2022 in General

Hello.

I am looking for best alternative of WordPress. I am tired of Wordpress plugins and themes. Yes WordPress is really good and wonderful but when everbody overuse this CMS starts to be boring.

Gutenberg is not "bad" but is a shit. I never see something like that.

I loved https://ghost.org/ this is a good alternative, but unfortunately is not free. I mean selfhosted by me, not by them...

Yes I know they need to pay their bills. But if anyone wants to be the next gen of Wordpress needs to have at least free self hosted solution (you install, you manage it) and have their own hosting solution is OK.

There are any good like Ghost? Just see the features of ghost... Wonderful, simple and easy to use without needing a thousands of plugins or themes. I wonder if there are any Ghost solution like that or similar...

Comments

  • https://github.com/TryGhost/Ghost
    Ghost is Open Source and free for self-host I think?

    Thanked by 1fadedmaple
  • @lowendclient said:
    https://github.com/TryGhost/Ghost
    Ghost is Open Source and free for self-host I think?

    Yes. But they aren't clear if all features are included I mean all features of CMS, and also in their website is "hidden" that self host.

    I don't understand why they follow this path if they want to be bigger and competitive...

    For example in Wordpress all features in CMS are free. Unless paid plugins or themes..

  • You can find "How to install Ghost" at the bottom of ghost.org and it says:
    The fastest way to get started is to set up a site on Ghost(Pro). If you're running a self-hosted instance, we strongly recommend an Ubuntu server with at least 1GB of memory to run Ghost.

    I believe there's no difference between paid hosting service and self-hosted source.
    I don't think you need to worry about, their License is MIT, the most liberal one.

    Also, most program "hide" open-source version on the main page, such as wordpress.com

    Thanked by 1mustafamw3
  • mustafamw3mustafamw3 Member, Patron Provider

    Thanked by 1lowendclient
  • mustafamw3mustafamw3 Member, Patron Provider

    Ghost is great cms, but wordpress is the best, don't use Gutenberg, get another theme builder, brizy is good and user friendly

  • LeeLee Veteran
    edited October 2022

    @sandoz said: Yes. But they aren't clear if all features are included I mean all features of CMS, and also in their website is "hidden" that self host.

    Ghost is free if you are self-hosting, what you get is no different from their paid hosting option. But, it's far from perfect. If you are happy with what they offer out of the box then it may be a decent option, but...

    Must have a VPS/Dedi. Can't use shared/reseller to run it.
    Modifications required coding changes.
    Simple additions require integrations (plugins), and more coding changes.
    Want to send a newsletter to all your members? Mailgun, it's the only option.
    Many limitations that you simply don't get with WordPress.

    The majority of those I know who switched to Ghost from WP switched back. Ghost is ok, but using Node JS has drawbacks.

    Thanked by 2mustafamw3 nick_
  • Does blogspot still exist :#

  • @Lee said:

    @sandoz said: Yes. But they aren't clear if all features are included I mean all features of CMS, and also in their website is "hidden" that self host.

    Ghost is free if you are self-hosting, what you get is no different from their paid hosting option. But, it's far from perfect. If you are happy with what they offer out of the box then it may be a decent option, but...

    Must have a VPS/Dedi. Can't use shared/reseller to run it.
    Modifications required coding changes.
    Simple additions require integrations (plugins), and more coding changes.
    Want to send a newsletter to all your members? Mailgun, it's the only option.
    Many limitations that you simply don't get with WordPress.

    The majority of those I know who switched to Ghost from WP switched back. Ghost is ok, but using Node JS has drawbacks.

    Yes. I saw if is possible to migrate from Ghost to Wordpress. I really like Ghost for the features.

    @lowendclient said:
    You can find "How to install Ghost" at the bottom of ghost.org and it says:
    The fastest way to get started is to set up a site on Ghost(Pro). If you're running a self-hosted instance, we strongly recommend an Ubuntu server with at least 1GB of memory to run Ghost.

    I believe there's no difference between paid hosting service and self-hosted source.
    I don't think you need to worry about, their License is MIT, the most liberal one.

    Also, most program "hide" open-source version on the main page, such as wordpress.com

    You are not correct at all.. Wordpress.org where they "hide" it?

    Wordpress is unbeatable because of that. But wordpress is being ultimately boring..

    I can give a marketing tips for Ghost.. They are in the way to be a good CMS

  • WordPress is for everyone
    Ghost is not for everyone.

    Thanked by 2mustafamw3 Liso
  • Ghost is free to be hosted with docker.

  • rm_rm_ IPv6 Advocate, Veteran

    @sandoz said: You are not correct at all.. Wordpress.org where they "hide" it?

    If you google "wordpress", the first result you get is wordpress.com, and on there indeed there's no way to download the software to self-host. Noticed that recently too, and was annoyed by that.

  • afnafn Member

    There is a fork of WordPress without the block shit editor.
    https://www.classicpress.net/

    @sandoz said: is not "bad" but is a shit

    huh? That's the same thing...

    @sandoz said: Yes. But they aren't clear if all features are included I mean all features of CMS, and also in their website is "hidden" that self host.

    No One will include everything in the free version -_- Not even wordpress. Wordpress.com has tons of features and other customized things to fit their use-case that are not in the self-hosted version.

    Or use a flat file CMS.

    @sandoz said: but when everbody overuse this CMS starts to be boring.

    huh? Everybody uses and overuses computers. Computers are boring. Just say you want to look fancy and wish to be the different kid. No one will judge you. You have every right to look for something different without even giving a reason. But the excuse that it is frequently used = boring, is one of most illogical and funniest things I have seen in my life... :joy:

    Thanked by 1ninjatk
  • sandozsandoz Veteran
    edited October 2022

    @afn said: huh? Everybody uses and overuses computers. Computers are boring. Just say you want to look fancy and wish to be the different kid. No one will judge you. You have every right to look for something different without even giving a reason. But the excuse that it is frequently used = boring, is one of most illogical and funniest things I have seen in my life...

    >

    Everything have a exception obviously. When I said Wordpress is boring I'm saying about seeing the same tools, the same issues, the same backend.

    I want something fresh and different of others, is there any problem?

    @afn said: No One will include everything in the free version -_- Not even wordpress. Wordpress.com has tons of features and other customized things to fit their use-case that are not in the self-hosted version.

    Or use a flat file CMS.
    >

    I don't want it to include everything in the page version but all the CMS features that came by default.

    It's just that, Wordpress.com is different from Wordpress.org
    At Wordpress.org you have more options than the paid one. Besides that paid and free wordpress are basically the same, what a lot of people have on wordpress.com can also have on wordpress.org!

    And in Ghost is it like that? Does it have the same basic features included in the CMS or have they been removed for GhostPro?

    This is where many CMS die, not because they don't have good features, but because of the bad type of marketing and target audience.

    I've been researching and Ghost is an excellent option but... it lacks some essential things

    Lacks of Ghost

    • Domain Definitions
    • URL Settings (HTTP/HTTPS)
    • Control of users by permissions (user roles)
    • Basics of SEO (linking options, description of website, titles etc)
    • Plugin implementation
    • Advertisement Places (allowing to setup a banner)
    • Settings is not very clear
    • No way to disable user login and only with invite.
    • Hide name in Posts

    That is what I saw for less than 1h, some of them meeh, not important but others are critical.

    And most importantly... placing banners for advertising!

  • WebProjectWebProject Host Rep, Veteran

    Personally I like Grav CMS

  • Try drupal or joomla if you want something new. Pretty sure you will be back to wordpress.

    Thanked by 1bikegremlin
  • Drupal isn't boring. :)

    Hugo is simple(r) - does static HTML output.

  • add_iTadd_iT Member
    edited October 2022

    I like ghost because the simplicity

    I have not experience or knowledge about any web design but when use ghost i feel like it is fit to my knowledge

  • You really should check out https://getgrav.org - it's awesome, way faster and not so bloaty as WP.

    Thanked by 1WebProject
  • Hugo and Ghost are winning. Any other alternative? Just looking and analyzing each solution.

    Thanked by 1sh97
  • Not_OlesNot_Oles Moderator, Patron Provider

    @sandoz said:
    Hugo and Ghost are winning. Any other alternative? Just looking and analyzing each solution.

    What's the best way to enable comments with WP and Hugo and Ghost and Grab?

  • @Not_Oles said:

    @sandoz said:
    Hugo and Ghost are winning. Any other alternative? Just looking and analyzing each solution.

    What's the best way to enable comments with WP and Hugo and Ghost and Grab?

    Let's be honest, WP is well prepared for that. But for this reason I'm looking for another solutions.

    Of course WP is great, but doesn't mean we are obligated to use them just because is famous in my opinion. Is like someone come here to LET and say:

    "Hey why you are using vanilla and not Xenforo or Invision Power Board with are the most famous?"

    We can't be the same. The difference is the key.

    Thanked by 1Not_Oles
  • Not_OlesNot_Oles Moderator, Patron Provider

    @sandoz said:

    @Not_Oles said:

    @sandoz said:
    Hugo and Ghost are winning. Any other alternative? Just looking and analyzing each solution.

    What's the best way to enable comments with WP and Hugo and Ghost and Grab?

    Let's be honest, WP is well prepared for that. But for this reason I'm looking for another solutions.

    Of course WP is great, but doesn't mean we are obligated to use them just because is famous in my opinion. Is like someone come here to LET and say:

    "Hey why you are using vanilla and not Xenforo or Invision Power Board with are the most famous?"

    We can't be the same. The difference is the key.

    Actually I 'm not the world's biggest WP fan. Sorry, but I didn't mean to imply any restriction to or favoritism of WP. I was just asking the question I asked, "What's the best way to enable comments with WP and Hugo and Ghost and Grav?" Thanks and best wishes!

    P.S. Grab was an auto-correct typo. I meant Grav.

  • LeeLee Veteran
    edited October 2022

    @sandoz said: Hugo and Ghost are winning. Any other alternative? Just looking and analyzing each solution.

    Not free but I use GetKirby on a few sites, the fee is once every 3 or so years, not expensive. But it's a perfect system of everything built-in but use only what you want.

    If Ghost fits your needs though, go ahead and use it. As a Blog focused on content first you won't find anything better out of the box. It's got its faults but so has everything.

  • If you're looking CMS for community based content such as Medium or DEV.to, you should try FOREM (forem.com)

    Thanked by 1sh97
  • Otus9051Otus9051 Member
    edited October 2022

    grav could be used
    also ghost is oss and free to self host
    or use hugo if you want to have a static site
    or hashnode if you dont want to self host maybe

  • boring with wordpress? say no more! get HTMLy. 😊

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