Bludit vs Mezzanine
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted content management systems options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Bludit
Simple flat-file CMS for fast websites and blogs
VS
Mezzanine
Lightweight content management framework for Django
| Feature | Bludit | Mezzanine |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 83 · Excellent | 66 · Good |
| Category | Content Management Systems | Content Management Systems |
| License | MIT | BSD-2-Clause |
| Language | PHP | Python |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 128 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal, source | docker, bare-metal, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 1,469 | ★ 4,816 |
| First released | 2015 | 2010 |
| Replaces | WordPress, Wix | WordPress |
What are Bludit and Mezzanine?
Bludit
Bludit is a lightweight flat-file CMS that stores content in JSON files, requiring no database. It is aimed at users who want a quick, simple website or blog without complex setup.
- No database needed
- Plugin and theme support
- Markdown editor
- Quick installation
Mezzanine
Mezzanine is an open-source content management platform built on Django that provides a simple yet flexible CMS out of the box. It includes a blog engine, in-line editing, and rich content tools.
- Built-in blog engine
- In-line content editing
- Hierarchical page tree
- Django integration
Bludit vs Mezzanine: key differences
Bludit is written in PHP, while Mezzanine is built with Python. Licensing differs — MIT for Bludit versus BSD-2-Clause for Mezzanine. Bludit is the lighter option, starting around 128 MB of RAM against 512 MB for Mezzanine. Mezzanine is the more established project (first released 2010), while Bludit arrived in 2015. Mezzanine has the considerably larger community, at 4,816 GitHub stars versus 1,469.
Why pick each one
Choose Bludit if…
- Very easy to set up
- Easy to back up
Watch out for
- Not suited to large sites
- Smaller ecosystem
Choose Mezzanine if…
- Quick to get a Django site running
- Includes blogging out of the box
Watch out for
- Development has slowed
- Smaller community now
Frequently asked questions
Is Bludit or Mezzanine better?
Neither is universally better. Mezzanine has the larger community, while Bludit is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are Bludit and Mezzanine free and open-source?
Yes. Bludit is licensed under MIT and Mezzanine under BSD-2-Clause. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Bludit and Mezzanine with Docker?
Bludit: yes. Mezzanine: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Bludit or Mezzanine?
Bludit has the smaller minimum footprint at 128 MB of RAM, compared to about 512 MB for Mezzanine. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.