I have invested so much time that it feels wasteful to throw it away. That sunk cost keeps me maintaining a system that should have been a platform choice instead of a custom build.

4) The backlog never ends#

Right now the blog is full of bugs and has a long list of improvements waiting. It is incredibly hard to meet basic blog standards and fix UI/UX inconsistencies. I find myself constantly fixing countless issues in real-time just to keep the site functional.

Why Ghost or WordPress is stronger#

Ghost strengths:

• Writing-first editor with a clean publishing workflow.
• Built-in memberships, newsletters, and SEO defaults.
• Solid performance without heavy customization.

WordPress strengths:

• Huge plugin ecosystem for almost any feature you need.
• Mature themes and integrations across the web.
• Easy path to scale content and monetize.

Both platforms provide a stable foundation so you can focus on content instead of infrastructure.

Build vs Buy (time + cost reality check)#

Minimal Ghost self-host (for comparison)#

Migration checklist#

• Export posts and tags
• Map URLs and redirects
• Verify RSS/SEO meta
• Test import and fix images

Decision tree#

What I would recommend now#

If someone asks how to start a blog today, I would say:

• Customize Ghost for a clean writing-first workflow, or
• Customize WordPress if you need a larger plugin ecosystem.

Both give you a high baseline so your energy goes into publishing, not maintaining infrastructure.

Current architecture snapshot#

This stack is flexible, but it also means I own every layer. That is the tradeoff I underestimated.

Wrap-up#

I still value the experience, but I would not choose this path again. Ghost (or WordPress) with focused customization is the better default, especially when your goal is to publish consistently.