Acrylamid vs Textpattern
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted blogging platforms options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | Acrylamid | Textpattern |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Read-the-docs project | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 10 · At risk | 78 · Good |
| Category | Blogging Platforms | Blogging Platforms |
| License | BSD-2-Clause | GPL-2.0 |
| Language | Python | PHP |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 64 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | source, binary | docker, bare-metal, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 280 | ★ 881 |
| First released | 2011 | 2004 |
| Replaces | WordPress, Blogger | WordPress, Blogger |
What are Acrylamid and Textpattern?
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
Textpattern
Textpattern is a long-established open-source CMS and blogging platform known for clean markup and a flexible tag-based templating system. It appeals to designers who want precise control.
- Tag-based templating
- Clean semantic markup
- Lightweight core
- Plugin support
Acrylamid vs Textpattern: key differences
Acrylamid is written in Python, while Textpattern is built with PHP. Licensing differs — BSD-2-Clause for Acrylamid versus GPL-2.0 for Textpattern. Acrylamid is the lighter option, starting around 64 MB of RAM against 256 MB for Textpattern. Textpattern is the more established project (first released 2004), while Acrylamid arrived in 2011. Textpattern has the considerably larger community, at 881 GitHub stars versus 280. Textpattern 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 Textpattern if…
- Precise control over output
- Stable and lightweight
Watch out for
- Tag syntax has a learning curve
- Smaller plugin ecosystem
Frequently asked questions
Is Acrylamid or Textpattern better?
Neither is universally better. Textpattern has the larger community; both share a medium setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Acrylamid and Textpattern free and open-source?
Yes. Acrylamid is licensed under BSD-2-Clause and Textpattern under GPL-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Acrylamid and Textpattern with Docker?
Acrylamid: check the project docs for container support. Textpattern: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Acrylamid or Textpattern?
Acrylamid has the smaller minimum footprint at 64 MB of RAM, compared to about 256 MB for Textpattern. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.