Bashblog vs Jekyll
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted blogging platforms options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Jekyll
Simple, blog-aware static site generator
| Feature | Bashblog | Jekyll |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Read-the-docs project | Read-the-docs project |
| Health score | 76 · Good | 85 · 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 | binary, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 1,931 | ★ 51,683 |
| First released | 2012 | 2008 |
| Replaces | WordPress, Blogger | WordPress, Blogger |
What are Bashblog and Jekyll?
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
Jekyll
Jekyll is a popular open-source static site generator that transforms Markdown and Liquid templates into static blogs and websites. It pioneered the modern static-site approach and integrates with GitHub Pages.
- Blog-aware by design
- Markdown and Liquid templating
- Large plugin ecosystem
- GitHub Pages support
Bashblog vs Jekyll: key differences
Bashblog is written in Shell, while Jekyll is built with Ruby. Licensing differs — GPL-3.0 for Bashblog versus MIT for Jekyll. Bashblog is the lighter option, starting around 32 MB of RAM against 256 MB for Jekyll. Jekyll is the more established project (first released 2008), while Bashblog arrived in 2012. Jekyll has the considerably larger community, at 51,683 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 Jekyll if…
- Mature and well documented
- Great for personal blogs
Watch out for
- Slower builds on large sites
- Ruby toolchain required
Frequently asked questions
Is Bashblog or Jekyll better?
Neither is universally better. Jekyll 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 Jekyll free and open-source?
Yes. Bashblog is licensed under GPL-3.0 and Jekyll under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Bashblog and Jekyll with Docker?
Bashblog: check the project docs for container support. Jekyll: check the project docs for container support.
Which is lighter on resources, Bashblog or Jekyll?
Bashblog has the smaller minimum footprint at 32 MB of RAM, compared to about 256 MB for Jekyll. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.