> ## Content Index
> Fetch the complete content index at: https://discoverghost.com/blog/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further.

# Ghost 5.0: MySQL 8, Faster Boot Times, and Stable APIs
- URL: https://discoverghost.com/blog/ghost-5-0-release-guide/
- Published: 2022-05-24T12:00:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-07-19T21:34:21.000Z
- Description: Ghost 5.0 (May 2022) standardized on MySQL 8 for production, simplified API versioning, and delivered measurable boot-time and memory improvements for busy member-driven sites.
- Author: Harish Chouhan
- Tags: Ghost Releases, #Import 2026-10-22 16:21

Shipped **23 May 2022**, Ghost 5.0 focused on **operational maturity**: database strategy, memory footprint, and API predictability for member-heavy sites.

## Production stack clarity

Ghost documented **Ubuntu 20, Node 16, and MySQL 8** as the supported production trio, stepping back from MySQL 5 and SQLite at scale as member and email tables grew.

![Ghost 5.0 release overview graphic](https://discoverghost.com/blog/content/images/2026/07/ghost-5-0-feature.png)

Infrastructure stability mattered as Ghost publishers earned real subscription revenue.

## Benchmark improvements

- Roughly 20% more requests per second
- 15–22% lower memory at boot and peak
- About 16% faster boot time

## API contract

Concurrent API versions inside one install ended—breaking changes stay tied to majors. Members and Tiers APIs graduated from beta with clearer documentation for theme and integration authors.

[← Ghost 4.0](https://discoverghost.com/blog/ghost-4-0-release-guide/) · [Ghost 6.0 →](https://discoverghost.com/blog/ghost-6-0-release-guide/)