Blogging

From WordPress to Ghost: Embracing Simplicity in Blogging

Neville Hobson

16 Jan 2025 — 4 min read

Pros ands cons

For nearly two decades, my online home has been WordPress. But now, it feels like the right time to move on, so I’m preparing for a move to Ghost, a platform that is a compelling alternative to WordPress.

WordPress has been a remarkable platform since I discovered it in 2004 when blogging for business was not yet in the mainstream. I had started blogging on BlogSpot, then TypePad, some years earlier before moving to WordPress in 2006.

Over the years, I’ve written 5,500 articles, experimented with many features, and watched my site evolve. It’s played an instrumental role in connecting me with friends, clients and countless others.

WordPress has been at the heart and soul of my writing and blogging.

Why Leave WordPress?

While I’m proud of everything I’ve created, the infrastructure of my self-hosted WordPress site now feels bloated and cumbersome. WordPress is undeniably powerful, but that power comes with complexity. Managing plugins, maintaining themes, and dealing with frequent updates have increasingly become distractions. Instead of enhancing my blogging experience, these tasks have detracted from what I love most: writing.

It also has to do with changes in WordPress as the platform and the organisation behind it evolved. In the beginning, WordPress was a blogging platform that offered a more compelling user experience than the alternatives in the early 2000s, most of which you had to pay to subscribe. The software was easy to use, it was open source, and it didn’t cost anything other than a hosting service where you’d install your blog.

Today, WordPress is a sophisticated content management system that runs over 43% of all websites (about half a billion) worldwide. No longer is it a simple blogging platform.

In addition, I have concerns about the broader landscape of online publishing and some significant disagreements between WordPress co-founder Matt Mullenweg and WordPress hosting firm WP Engine on issues around copyright and IP ownership. Mullenweg said that the resulting lawsuits could mean the end of WordPress, reported Search Engine Journal.

These challenges have left me yearning for a simpler, more focused writing environment to do what I enjoy most – creating and blogging meaningful content.

Why Choose Ghost?

Ghost Pro represents a fresh start. From the moment I explored its features, I experienced a sense of clarity and purpose about my writing that I hadn’t felt in a long time. I also reviewed some other hosted alternatives, such as WordPress.com (the hosted version of WordPress run by the makers of WordPress), Siteground (my current hosting service), WP Engine, Kinsta, Hostinger, and more.

None appealed to me as Ghost Pro did. Here are the key reasons why Ghost stands out for me:

A Clean Writing Experience: Ghost is lightweight, fast, and purpose-built for writers. There’s no need to worry about plugins or excessive customisation options if you don’t want to – just a pure writing and blogging platform.
Speed and Simplicity: The fast-loading nature of Ghost websites aligns perfectly with my goal of creating a distraction-free reading experience for my audience.
No Maintenance Hassles: With Ghost Pro’s fully hosted service, I’m free from the burden of managing software updates, backups, or security. This modern simplicity is a game-changer for me.
Built-in Newsletter Functionality: Ghost makes it effortless to create and manage newsletters. From the start, I’ll offer newsletters for free, just I have done for years on my WordPress blog. The option to monetise newsletters is not a primary driver for me, but it is something I will pay attention to in the future.
A Unified Approach: Over the years, I’ve juggled multiple self-hosted WordPress sites, each serving a different purpose. A move to Ghost gives me the opportunity to consolidate everything under one platform – which I already started doing on WordPress – simplifying my online presence.

A Philosophical Shift

This move isn’t just about adopting a new platform; it’s about embracing a new mindset that I didn’t see with any of the other alternatives to WordPress that I’d considered.

By stripping away the technical complexities, I can focus entirely on creating and sharing content. Ghost allows me to rediscover the joy of blogging without the baggage of managing a complex website, the overwhelming choices of paid-for bells and whistles, and the hosting service I pay to host it, all with the relentless marketing pressure to upgrade or buy additional services.

I’ve started with a free trial of Ghost Pro, which I’m using to explore its potential and understand what I’ll need to do to ensure a smooth transition when I make the switch. I’ve already had brilliant help from Ghost support, for which I’m grateful, so I’m confident about making this change. The test blog I created on Ghost has already shown me how liberating it can be to work in such a clean, focused environment.

Blogging Ahead

As I prepare for my transition to Ghost, which I’m planning to complete by the end of January, I’m excited about the possibilities it offers. This is an opportunity to redefine my online presence and build deeper connections with my readers.

It’s a chance to prioritise what truly matters: the joy of writing and the ability to connect meaningfully with my audience. It’s fully engaged with my continuing project of redefining my work/life balance that includes what I write about.

If you’ve considered making a similar shift or have experience with Ghost, I’d love to hear your thoughts. Here’s to simpler, smarter writing and blogging!

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