Compare Fusio to Ghost

This page compares Fusio, an open-source API management platform for building and managing structured APIs, with Ghost, an open-source headless content management system (CMS) and professional publishing platform. Although both support APIs, they serve different needs: Fusio focuses on general API lifecycle and backend services, while Ghost specializes in content publishing and headless delivery.

🔍 Feature Comparison

Feature	Fusio	Ghost
Type	API management platform	Headless CMS & publishing platform
Primary Use Case	Design, secure, document, and manage REST APIs	Publish, manage, and deliver content via API
Open Source	✅ Yes (Apache 2.0)	✅ Yes (MIT)
API Generation	Manual definition + structured design	Built-in REST JSON API for content
Documentation	Auto-generated OpenAPI	API docs available, not auto OpenAPI
Authentication & Security	Built-in OAuth2 server	API keys (Content API), JWT (Admin API)
Custom Logic	PHP/JS/SQL actions	Limited backend extensibility; content-focused logic
Content Management UI	⚠️ API-centric admin UI	✅ Full CMS UI for authors & editors
Real-Time	⚠️ Manual integrations	⚠️ Not core, some webhook support
Extensibility	Plugins & custom actions	Integrations, themes, webhooks
Deployment	Self-hosted	Self-hosted or Ghost(Pro) managed

🎯 Key Differences

The main difference between Fusio and Ghost lies in how they are designed to work and the type of backend workloads they solve.

Fusio is a full API management platform that gives developers control over API design, security, governance, and custom behavior:

Create and manage structured REST APIs with detailed schemas
Centralize API security with built-in OAuth2 and scopes
Generate OpenAPI documentation automatically
Execute backend logic using PHP, JavaScript, or SQL actions
Provide lifecycle, access control, and developer workflows

Fusio is optimized for building general-purpose APIs and backend services, where logic, security, and governance are key.

Ghost is a headless content management and publishing platform that delivers content via a RESTful JSON API:

Manage content (posts, pages, tags, authors) via the admin UI
Expose data through a read-only Content API and write-enabled Admin API
Designed for publishing workflows and editorial teams
Integrates smoothly with frontend frameworks (Next.js, Gatsby) via API
Includes features like SEO, newsletters, memberships (on managed Ghost(Pro))

Ghost is ideal for content delivery and publishing, not general API management.

📌 When to Choose Which

Choose Fusio if:

You need a backend platform that centralizes API governance, security, and custom logic
Building structured APIs for a wide range of services (not just content) is your priority
You want built-in API management features like OAuth2, scopes, and autogenerated documentation
Your APIs are consumed by external developers or systems, not just frontends

Fusio is best for teams looking to build API products, backend services, or integration platforms.

Choose Ghost if:

You want a headless CMS tailored for content publishing and delivery
You need a rich editorial UI for authors together with a backend API
Your project revolves around creating posts, pages, magazines, blogs, or newsletters
You plan to serve content to web apps, static sites, or mobile apps via API

Ghost is ideal for content-centric applications and modern headless publishing.