Bashblog vs Gridsome
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted blogging platforms options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | Bashblog | Gridsome |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Read-the-docs project | Read-the-docs project |
| Health score | 76 · Good | 29 · At risk |
| Category | Blogging Platforms | Blogging Platforms |
| License | GPL-3.0 | MIT |
| Language | Shell | JavaScript |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 32 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | bare-metal, source | source, binary |
| GitHub stars | ★ 1,931 | ★ 8,464 |
| First released | 2012 | 2018 |
| Replaces | WordPress, Blogger | Gatsby, WordPress |
What are Bashblog and Gridsome?
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
Gridsome
Gridsome is a free and open-source Vue.js-powered framework for building static generated websites and apps that are fast by default. It pulls data from any source into a unified GraphQL layer for use in pages and templates.
- Unified GraphQL data layer
- Vue single-page experience
- Plugin sources
- Static prerendering
Bashblog vs Gridsome: key differences
Bashblog is written in Shell, while Gridsome is built with JavaScript. Licensing differs — GPL-3.0 for Bashblog versus MIT for Gridsome. Bashblog is the lighter option, starting around 32 MB of RAM against 512 MB for Gridsome. Bashblog is the more established project (first released 2012), while Gridsome arrived in 2018. Gridsome has the considerably larger community, at 8,464 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 Gridsome if…
- Released under the MIT license
- Mature project with 8.5k GitHub stars
- Written in JavaScript
- Lightweight — runs in 512 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is Bashblog or Gridsome better?
Neither is universally better. Gridsome 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 Gridsome free and open-source?
Yes. Bashblog is licensed under GPL-3.0 and Gridsome under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Bashblog and Gridsome with Docker?
Bashblog: check the project docs for container support. Gridsome: check the project docs for container support.
Which is lighter on resources, Bashblog or Gridsome?
Bashblog has the smaller minimum footprint at 32 MB of RAM, compared to about 512 MB for Gridsome. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.