Bolt vs Docsify
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted content management systems options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Not the right match-up?
| Feature | Bolt | Docsify |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Content Management Systems | Content Management Systems |
| License | MIT | MIT |
| Language | PHP | JavaScript |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 50 MB |
| Deployment | bare-metal, source, docker | bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 590 | ★ 31,442 |
| First released | 2012 | 2024 |
| Replaces | WordPress, Contentful | — |
Why pick each one
Choose Bolt if…
- Released under the MIT license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Written in PHP
- Lightweight — runs in 512 MB RAM
Choose Docsify if…
- Released under the MIT license
- Mature project with 31.4k GitHub stars
- Written in JavaScript
- Tiny footprint — runs in 50 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is Bolt or Docsify better?
Neither is universally better. Docsify has the larger community; both share a medium setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Bolt and Docsify free and open-source?
Yes. Bolt is licensed under MIT and Docsify under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Bolt and Docsify with Docker?
Bolt: yes. Docsify: check the project docs for container support.