WordPress vs Ghost vs Webflow: Best for Blogs in a Subdirectory
Choosing a blog platform for /blog comes down to speed, extensibility, and how easily you can front it with a proxy. Here’s how WordPress, Ghost, and Webflow compare in 2025.
Table of Contents
- Evaluation criteria
- WordPress for /blog
- Ghost for /blog
- Webflow CMS for /blog
- Reverse-proxy compatibility
- Recommendation by team type
- TCO and maintenance comparison
- Internal linking and migration notes
- Advanced FAQ
- Why choose BlogPath.io
- Related posts
Evaluation criteria
- Speed and Core Web Vitals.
- Editor experience and extensibility.
- Cost and vendor lock-in.
- Ease of proxying into
/blog.
WordPress for /blog
- Strengths: plugin ecosystem, flexible themes, multisite support.
- Weaknesses: performance without caching; plugin sprawl risks.
- Proxy fit: excellent—origin stays intact, proxy handles caching and security.
Ghost for /blog
- Strengths: clean writing UX, fast out of the box, membership features.
- Weaknesses: smaller ecosystem; some customization requires code.
- Proxy fit: good—static-ish output proxies cleanly with edge caching.
Webflow CMS for /blog
- Strengths: visual design, fast publishing, built-in hosting.
- Weaknesses: limited dynamic logic; export friction.
- Proxy fit: workable—proxy targets Webflow-hosted domain; mind caching headers.
Reverse-proxy compatibility
- All three can be proxied to
/blogwithout template rebuilds. - Set canonical URLs to
/blog; update sitemaps; respect cache headers or override at edge. - Shield origins; log traffic centrally at the edge.
Recommendation by team type
- Content-heavy, plugin-driven teams: WordPress + proxy for speed.
- Lean editorial teams: Ghost + proxy for simplicity.
- Design-led marketing: Webflow + proxy for velocity; supplement with edge caching.
TCO and maintenance comparison
- WordPress: lowest license cost; higher maintenance (plugins, security patching). With a proxy and WAF, ops burden drops.
- Ghost: moderate cost; fast out of box; limited plugin sprawl keeps maintenance low.
- Webflow: higher hosting cost; low dev lift; export friction if you ever migrate.
- BlogPath.io overlay: regardless of CMS, edge caching + origin shielding + uptime SLAs reduce infra overhead and keep performance consistent.
Internal linking and migration notes
- Keep slugs consistent across platforms; avoid changing URL structure when moving to
/blog. - Add 4–8 internal links from this post to platform-specific guides (
host-wordpress-subdirectory-no-migration.md,move-blogger-to-subdirectory.md,headless-vs-reverse-proxy-blog.md). - From older popular posts, link back here with anchors like “WordPress vs Ghost” or “Webflow blog comparison”.
- Update sitemaps and canonicals if you switch hosts; verify Search Console for the root domain.
Advanced FAQ
Which platform is fastest with a proxy?
Ghost and optimized WordPress often tie; Webflow can be fast but watch cache headers. The proxy levels performance by caching and compressing responses.
Which is safest for SEO migrations?
Staying on WordPress and adding a proxy is often lowest risk. Moving platforms adds template and URL variability; use meticulous redirects if you change CMS.
What about multilingual content?
All three support it; ensure your proxy respects language folders and hreflang tags.
Can I switch later?
Yes. Start with your current CMS + proxy for quick SEO lift. Migrate platforms later with redirects and stable slugs.
Why choose BlogPath.io
- Works with WordPress, Ghost, Webflow, and Blogger—no rebuilds.
- Global CDN caching, WAF, origin shielding, and observability without DIY configs.
- DNS-only cutover; reversible in minutes.
- Performance consistency across platforms, plus SLAs.