Bashblog vs Eleventy
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted blogging platforms options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Eleventy
Simpler static site generator for fast websites
| Feature | Bashblog | Eleventy |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Read-the-docs project | Read-the-docs project |
| Health score | 76 · Good | 95 · Excellent |
| Category | Blogging Platforms | Blogging Platforms |
| License | GPL-3.0 | MIT |
| Language | Shell | JavaScript |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 32 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | bare-metal, source | binary, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 1,931 | ★ 19,929 |
| First released | 2012 | 2018 |
| Replaces | WordPress, Blogger | WordPress, Medium |
What are Bashblog and Eleventy?
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
Eleventy
Eleventy is a flexible open-source static site generator written in JavaScript that works with many templating languages. It is popular for blogs and documentation due to its simplicity and speed.
- Supports many template languages
- Fast incremental builds
- Zero client-side JavaScript by default
- Flexible data cascade
Bashblog vs Eleventy: key differences
Bashblog is written in Shell, while Eleventy is built with JavaScript. Licensing differs — GPL-3.0 for Bashblog versus MIT for Eleventy. Bashblog is the lighter option, starting around 32 MB of RAM against 256 MB for Eleventy. Bashblog is the more established project (first released 2012), while Eleventy arrived in 2018. Eleventy has the considerably larger community, at 19,929 GitHub stars versus 1,931.
Why pick each one
Choose Bashblog if…
- Incredibly minimal
- No runtime to maintain
Watch out for
- Very bare-bones
- No admin interface
Choose Eleventy if…
- Very flexible templating
- Lean output
Watch out for
- No built-in admin
- Requires Node tooling
Frequently asked questions
Is Bashblog or Eleventy better?
Neither is universally better. Eleventy has the larger community, while Bashblog is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are Bashblog and Eleventy free and open-source?
Yes. Bashblog is licensed under GPL-3.0 and Eleventy under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Bashblog and Eleventy with Docker?
Bashblog: check the project docs for container support. Eleventy: check the project docs for container support.
Which is lighter on resources, Bashblog or Eleventy?
Bashblog has the smaller minimum footprint at 32 MB of RAM, compared to about 256 MB for Eleventy. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.