Ghost
Publishing on Node.js; shared hosting won't do.
Ghost runs on Node.js, so PHP shared hosting is ruled out from the start: you need a VPS where you can run a persistent Node process. In return it's frugal: 1 GB is enough for a blog with normal traffic and 2 GB leaves room for MySQL 8 on the same machine. Ghost 5 requires MySQL 8 in production — SQLite is only supported for development.
RAM ≥ 1 GB CPU ≥ 1 cores Storage ≥ 20 GB
Recommended plans
Chosen for fitting the requirements and the price/performance for this workload.
Why: 1 GB for €1: a tight fit, but it fits
aruba-cloud/vps-smart-vps1.json 5 regions · Aruba Cloud
$1.09 /mo
~15 ms €1/mo
4.0
vCPU
1
RAM
1 GB
SSD
20 GB
Bandwidth
∞ unmetered
1 vCPU 1 GB RAM 20 GB SSD ∞
Why: Cheap alternative with a US presence
Why: 2 GB to host MySQL 8 without squeezing
scaleway/play-1-pico.json 3 regions · Scaleway
$0.0037 /hr
~15 ms
4.1
vCPU
1
RAM
2 GB
SSD
10 GB
Bandwidth
—
1 vCPU 2 GB RAM 10 GB SSD
Operational tips
- You need a VPS with root access: Ghost doesn't run on PHP shared hosting.
- Ghost 5 requires MySQL 8 in production; SQLite is for development only.
- On 1 GB, add swap: Ghost updates need a burst of memory.
- Use Ghost-CLI with Nginx and Let's Encrypt; manual installs cause more trouble.