Acrylamid vs PluXml
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted blogging platforms options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | Acrylamid | PluXml |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Read-the-docs project | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 10 · At risk | 76 · Good |
| Category | Blogging Platforms | Blogging Platforms |
| License | BSD-2-Clause | GPL-2.0 |
| Language | Python | PHP |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 64 MB | 128 MB |
| Deployment | source, binary | bare-metal, docker, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 280 | ★ 235 |
| First released | 2011 | 2007 |
| Replaces | WordPress, Blogger | WordPress, Blogger |
What are Acrylamid and PluXml?
Acrylamid
Acrylamid is a static blog compiler written in Python that focuses on fast incremental rebuilds and supports multiple markup languages. It generates a complete static site that can be hosted anywhere.
- Incremental rebuilds
- Multiple markup formats
- Static output
- Jinja2 templating
PluXml
PluXml is an open-source blog and content management system that stores all content in XML files, requiring no database. It is lightweight and aimed at simple personal sites and blogs.
- XML flat-file storage
- No database required
- Theme and plugin support
- Lightweight
Acrylamid vs PluXml: key differences
Acrylamid is written in Python, while PluXml is built with PHP. Licensing differs — BSD-2-Clause for Acrylamid versus GPL-2.0 for PluXml. Acrylamid is the lighter option, starting around 64 MB of RAM against 128 MB for PluXml. PluXml is the more established project (first released 2007), while Acrylamid arrived in 2011. PluXml lists first-class Docker deployment; Acrylamid does not.
Why pick each one
Choose Acrylamid if…
- Released under the BSD-2-Clause license
- Written in Python
- Tiny footprint — runs in 64 MB RAM
Choose PluXml if…
- No database needed
- Easy to back up
Watch out for
- Smaller community
- Limited modern themes
Frequently asked questions
Is Acrylamid or PluXml better?
Neither is universally better. Acrylamid has the larger community, while PluXml is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are Acrylamid and PluXml free and open-source?
Yes. Acrylamid is licensed under BSD-2-Clause and PluXml under GPL-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Acrylamid and PluXml with Docker?
Acrylamid: check the project docs for container support. PluXml: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Acrylamid or PluXml?
Acrylamid has the smaller minimum footprint at 64 MB of RAM, compared to about 128 MB for PluXml. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.