Bashblog vs FlatPress
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted blogging platforms options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | Bashblog | FlatPress |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Read-the-docs project | Read-the-docs project |
| Health score | 76 · Good | 73 · Good |
| Category | Blogging Platforms | Blogging Platforms |
| License | GPL-3.0 | GPL-2.0 |
| Language | Shell | PHP |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 32 MB | 128 MB |
| Deployment | bare-metal, source | bare-metal, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 1,931 | ★ 215 |
| First released | 2012 | 2005 |
| Replaces | WordPress, Blogger | WordPress, Blogger |
What are Bashblog and FlatPress?
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
FlatPress
FlatPress is an open-source blogging engine that requires no database, storing all content in flat files. It is designed to be simple, fast, and easy to deploy on minimal hosting.
- No database required
- Flat-file storage
- Plugin and theme support
- Lightweight
Bashblog vs FlatPress: key differences
Bashblog is written in Shell, while FlatPress is built with PHP. Licensing differs — GPL-3.0 for Bashblog versus GPL-2.0 for FlatPress. Bashblog is the lighter option, starting around 32 MB of RAM against 128 MB for FlatPress. FlatPress is the more established project (first released 2005), while Bashblog arrived in 2012. Bashblog has the considerably larger community, at 1,931 GitHub stars versus 215.
Why pick each one
Choose Bashblog if…
- Incredibly minimal
- No runtime to maintain
Watch out for
- Very bare-bones
- No admin interface
Choose FlatPress if…
- Trivial to install and back up
- Runs on minimal hosting
Watch out for
- Small community
- Basic feature set
Frequently asked questions
Is Bashblog or FlatPress better?
Neither is universally better. Bashblog has the larger community; both share a easy setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Bashblog and FlatPress free and open-source?
Yes. Bashblog is licensed under GPL-3.0 and FlatPress under GPL-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Bashblog and FlatPress with Docker?
Bashblog: check the project docs for container support. FlatPress: check the project docs for container support.
Which is lighter on resources, Bashblog or FlatPress?
Bashblog has the smaller minimum footprint at 32 MB of RAM, compared to about 128 MB for FlatPress. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.