Bashblog vs Bridgetown
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted blogging platforms options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | Bashblog | Bridgetown |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Read-the-docs project | Read-the-docs project |
| Health score | 76 · Good | 84 · Excellent |
| Category | Blogging Platforms | Blogging Platforms |
| License | GPL-3.0 | MIT |
| Language | Shell | Ruby |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 32 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | bare-metal, source | source, binary |
| GitHub stars | ★ 1,931 | ★ 1,366 |
| First released | 2012 | 2020 |
| Replaces | WordPress, Blogger | Jekyll, WordPress |
What are Bashblog and Bridgetown?
Bashblog
Bashblog is an extremely minimal blog engine implemented as a single Bash script. It generates static HTML pages from posts written in a terminal, ideal for hackers who want the simplest possible blog.
- Single Bash script
- Static HTML output
- Terminal-based authoring
- Zero dependencies beyond Bash
Bridgetown
Bridgetown is a Ruby-based static site generator and full-stack web framework that grew out of the Jekyll ecosystem. It supports component-based design, plugins, and optional dynamic rendering for blogs and websites.
- Component-based design
- Plugin ecosystem
- Front-end bundling
- Static and hybrid rendering
Bashblog vs Bridgetown: key differences
Bashblog is written in Shell, while Bridgetown is built with Ruby. Licensing differs — GPL-3.0 for Bashblog versus MIT for Bridgetown. Bashblog is the lighter option, starting around 32 MB of RAM against 256 MB for Bridgetown. Bashblog is the more established project (first released 2012), while Bridgetown arrived in 2020.
Why pick each one
Choose Bashblog if…
- Incredibly minimal
- No runtime to maintain
Watch out for
- Very bare-bones
- No admin interface
Choose Bridgetown if…
- Released under the MIT license
- Active community (1.4k GitHub stars)
- Written in Ruby
- Tiny footprint — runs in 256 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is Bashblog or Bridgetown better?
Bashblog is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider Bridgetown if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are Bashblog and Bridgetown free and open-source?
Yes. Bashblog is licensed under GPL-3.0 and Bridgetown under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Bashblog and Bridgetown with Docker?
Bashblog: check the project docs for container support. Bridgetown: check the project docs for container support.
Which is lighter on resources, Bashblog or Bridgetown?
Bashblog has the smaller minimum footprint at 32 MB of RAM, compared to about 256 MB for Bridgetown. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.