Blogofile 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 | Blogofile | FlatPress |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Read-the-docs project | Read-the-docs project |
| Health score | 11 · At risk | 73 · Good |
| Status | Archived | Actively maintained |
| Category | Blogging Platforms | Blogging Platforms |
| License | MIT | GPL-2.0 |
| Language | Python | PHP |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 64 MB | 128 MB |
| Deployment | source, bare-metal | bare-metal, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 347 | ★ 215 |
| First released | 2009 | 2005 |
| Replaces | WordPress, Blogger | WordPress, Blogger |
What are Blogofile and FlatPress?
Blogofile
Blogofile is a static website compiler that lets you write a blog or site using flat files and templates, producing pure HTML output. It includes built-in blog features such as archives, categories, and feeds.
- Static blog generation
- Categories and archives
- Atom and RSS feeds
- Mako templating
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
Blogofile vs FlatPress: key differences
The biggest difference is maintenance: Blogofile's repository is archived and no longer developed, while FlatPress is actively maintained. Blogofile is written in Python, while FlatPress is built with PHP. Licensing differs — MIT for Blogofile versus GPL-2.0 for FlatPress. Blogofile is the lighter option, starting around 64 MB of RAM against 128 MB for FlatPress. FlatPress is the more established project (first released 2005), while Blogofile arrived in 2009.
Why pick each one
Choose Blogofile if…
- Released under the MIT license
- Written in Python
- Tiny footprint — runs in 64 MB RAM
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 Blogofile or FlatPress better?
Neither is universally better. Blogofile has the larger community, while FlatPress is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are Blogofile and FlatPress free and open-source?
Yes. Blogofile is licensed under MIT and FlatPress under GPL-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Blogofile and FlatPress with Docker?
Blogofile: check the project docs for container support. FlatPress: check the project docs for container support.
Which is lighter on resources, Blogofile or FlatPress?
Blogofile has the smaller minimum footprint at 64 MB of RAM, compared to about 128 MB for FlatPress. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.