Ghost 5.0: MySQL 8, Faster Boot Times, and Stable APIs
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.
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.
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.
Discussion