Blogofile vs Serendipity
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted blogging platforms options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | Blogofile | Serendipity |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Read-the-docs project | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 11 · At risk | 76 · Good |
| Status | Archived | Actively maintained |
| Category | Blogging Platforms | Blogging Platforms |
| License | MIT | BSD-3-Clause |
| Language | Python | PHP |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 64 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | source, bare-metal | docker, bare-metal, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 347 | ★ 227 |
| First released | 2009 | 2003 |
| Replaces | WordPress, Blogger | WordPress, Blogger |
What are Blogofile and Serendipity?
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
Serendipity
Serendipity is an open-source PHP and MySQL-powered weblog application that emphasizes ease of use and effective spam protection. It supports plugins, themes, and multiple blogs.
- Strong built-in spam protection
- Plugin and theme system
- Multiple blog support
- Easy upgrades
Blogofile vs Serendipity: key differences
The biggest difference is maintenance: Blogofile's repository is archived and no longer developed, while Serendipity is actively maintained. Blogofile is written in Python, while Serendipity is built with PHP. Licensing differs — MIT for Blogofile versus BSD-3-Clause for Serendipity. Blogofile is the lighter option, starting around 64 MB of RAM against 256 MB for Serendipity. Serendipity is the more established project (first released 2003), while Blogofile arrived in 2009. Serendipity lists first-class Docker deployment; Blogofile does not.
Why pick each one
Choose Blogofile if…
- Released under the MIT license
- Written in Python
- Tiny footprint — runs in 64 MB RAM
Choose Serendipity if…
- Excellent spam handling
- Stable long-running project
Watch out for
- Small modern community
- Dated default themes
Frequently asked questions
Is Blogofile or Serendipity better?
Neither is universally better. Blogofile has the larger community, while Serendipity is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are Blogofile and Serendipity free and open-source?
Yes. Blogofile is licensed under MIT and Serendipity under BSD-3-Clause. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Blogofile and Serendipity with Docker?
Blogofile: check the project docs for container support. Serendipity: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Blogofile or Serendipity?
Blogofile has the smaller minimum footprint at 64 MB of RAM, compared to about 256 MB for Serendipity. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.