Open the server Apps tab
Select your VPS, open the Apps tab, and start a new app deployment. Keep sensitive server details hidden before capturing or sharing screenshots.


Publishing platform with MySQL database
Add your server credentials to Server Compass
Choose from our template library
Fill in settings and click Deploy
Use the Ghost template in Server Compass to deploy a self-hosted Ghost publication with MySQL on your VPS, then open the live Ghost site in a browser.
Select your VPS, open the Apps tab, and start a new app deployment. Keep sensitive server details hidden before capturing or sharing screenshots.

Click New App and choose the template deployment path so Server Compass can load the built-in catalog.

Use the template picker search to find Ghost in the Server Compass template catalog.

Choose the Ghost template. Server Compass fills the Ghost service, MySQL service, persistent volumes, database variables, and default Ghost web port.

Confirm the app name and compose summary. In the pilot run, the app was named ghost-demo and used host port 2368.

Review the generated database name, masked MySQL root password, and host port. When the port check passes, click Deploy Now.

Keep the deployment modal open while Server Compass prepares the project, pulls the Ghost and MySQL images, starts both containers, and verifies the service.

After deployment finishes, return to the Apps tab and confirm the Ghost app is marked Running with two services. The card also keeps the app URL available.

Click Open or open the application URL in a browser. The default Ghost site confirms the deployed publication is reachable and ready for setup.

The Ghost app loaded successfully in a browser and displayed the default homepage with the publication hero and coming-soon post.
It deploys the official Ghost Docker image, a MySQL database, persistent volumes for Ghost content and database data, and generated database credentials.
The pilot used host port 2368, which matches Ghost's default web port.
A fresh Ghost deployment starts with the public publication homepage. Seeing that page confirms the Ghost container and database are running and reachable.
No. The deployment guide should live on the Ghost template detail page and be linked from the reusable template deployment docs page.
Want full control? Here's how to deploy Ghost yourself using Docker Compose.
Use your terminal to securely access your server. You'll need your server's IP address.
# Connect via SSH
ssh root@your-vps-ip
# Alternative with key file
ssh -i /path/to/key root@your-vps-ipFirst time? Make sure Docker is installed on your VPS. Run: curl -fsSL https://get.docker.com | sh
Initialize a project folder on your server.
# Create and navigate to project directory
mkdir -p ~/apps/ghost
cd ~/apps/ghostUse this Docker Compose configuration for your deployment:
services:
ghost:
image: ghost:5-alpine
ports:
- "2368:2368"
environment:
- url=http://localhost:2368
- database__client=mysql
- database__connection__host=db
- database__connection__user=root
- database__connection__password=<your-db-root-password>
- database__connection__database=ghost
volumes:
- ghost_data:/var/lib/ghost/content
depends_on:
db:
condition: service_healthy
restart: unless-stopped
db:
image: mysql:5.7
environment:
- MYSQL_ROOT_PASSWORD=<your-db-root-password>
- MYSQL_DATABASE=ghost
volumes:
- db_data:/var/lib/mysql
restart: unless-stopped
healthcheck:
test: ["CMD-SHELL", "mysqladmin ping -h localhost -u root -p$$MYSQL_ROOT_PASSWORD || exit 1"]
interval: 10s
timeout: 5s
retries: 5
start_period: 30s
volumes:
ghost_data:
db_data:
PORTHost port to expose(default: 2368)DB_NAMEDatabase name(default: ghost)DB_ROOT_PASSWORDMySQL root passwordBring up your containers in detached mode.
# Start all services
docker compose up -d
# List running containers
docker compose ps
# Watch the logs
docker compose logs -fAllow the application port through your server's firewall.
# Allow the application port through firewall
sudo ufw allow 2368/tcp
sudo ufw reload
# Access your app at:
# http://your-server-ip:2368Skip the terminal and deploy Ghost with a visual interface. Configure everything with clicks, not commands.
After deploying Ghost with Server Compass, complete these steps to finish setup
Complete Ghost setup wizard
Configure site settings and theme
Set up HTTPS with a reverse proxy
Need help? Check out our documentation for detailed guides.
Common questions about self-hosting Ghost
Simply download Server Compass, connect to your VPS, and select Ghost from the templates list. Fill in the required configuration and click Deploy. The entire process takes under 3 minutes.
Ghost requires a minimum of 512MB RAM. We recommend a VPS with at least 1024MB RAM for optimal performance. Any modern Linux server with Docker support will work.
Yes! Server Compass provides volume mapping that allows you to import existing data. You can also use standard Ghost backup and restore procedures.
Server Compass makes updates easy. Simply click the Update button in your deployment dashboard, and the latest Ghost image will be pulled and deployed with zero downtime.
Ghost is open-source software. You only pay for your VPS hosting (typically $5-20/month) and optionally Server Compass ($29 one-time). No subscription fees or per-seat pricing.
Download Server Compass and deploy Ghost to your VPS in under 3 minutes. No Docker expertise required.
Download Server Compass