BlogEngine.NET 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 | BlogEngine.NET | Jekyll |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Read-the-docs project | Read-the-docs project |
| Health score | 13 · At risk | 85 · Excellent |
| Category | Blogging Platforms | Blogging Platforms |
| License | MS-PL | MIT |
| Language | C# | Ruby |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | bare-metal, source | binary, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 985 | ★ 51,683 |
| First released | 2007 | 2008 |
| Replaces | WordPress, Blogger | WordPress, Blogger |
What are BlogEngine.NET and Jekyll?
BlogEngine.NET
BlogEngine.NET is an open-source blogging platform built on ASP.NET that is easy to set up and customize. It works without a database using XML storage, or with SQL databases for larger blogs.
- XML or SQL storage
- Widget and theme system
- Multi-author support
- Built-in comment handling
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
BlogEngine.NET vs Jekyll: key differences
BlogEngine.NET is written in C#, while Jekyll is built with Ruby. Licensing differs — MS-PL for BlogEngine.NET versus MIT for Jekyll. Jekyll is the lighter option, starting around 256 MB of RAM against 512 MB for BlogEngine.NET. Jekyll has the considerably larger community, at 51,683 GitHub stars versus 985.
Why pick each one
Choose BlogEngine.NET if…
- Good fit for the .NET stack
- No database required option
Watch out for
- Development has slowed
- Smaller ecosystem
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 BlogEngine.NET or Jekyll better?
Neither is universally better. Jekyll has the larger community; both share a medium setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are BlogEngine.NET and Jekyll free and open-source?
Yes. BlogEngine.NET is licensed under MS-PL and Jekyll under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run BlogEngine.NET and Jekyll with Docker?
BlogEngine.NET: check the project docs for container support. Jekyll: check the project docs for container support.
Which is lighter on resources, BlogEngine.NET or Jekyll?
Jekyll has the smaller minimum footprint at 256 MB of RAM, compared to about 512 MB for BlogEngine.NET. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.