Dotclear 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 | Dotclear | FlatPress |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Read-the-docs project |
| Health score | 62 · Good | 73 · Good |
| Category | Blogging Platforms | Blogging Platforms |
| License | GPL-2.0 | GPL-2.0 |
| Language | PHP | PHP |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 256 MB | 128 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal, source | bare-metal, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 46 | ★ 215 |
| First released | 2003 | 2005 |
| Replaces | WordPress, Blogger | WordPress, Blogger |
What are Dotclear and FlatPress?
Dotclear
Dotclear is a long-standing open-source blogging engine designed to be easy to install and use. It offers themes, plugins, and full control over publishing without proprietary lock-in.
- Easy installation
- Theme and plugin support
- Multi-blog management
- Built-in media handling
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
Dotclear vs FlatPress: key differences
Both projects are written in PHP. FlatPress is the lighter option, starting around 128 MB of RAM against 256 MB for Dotclear. Dotclear is the more established project (first released 2003), while FlatPress arrived in 2005. FlatPress has the considerably larger community, at 215 GitHub stars versus 46. Dotclear lists first-class Docker deployment; FlatPress does not.
Why pick each one
Choose Dotclear if…
- Simple to set up
- Mature and stable
Watch out for
- Smaller community
- Less known outside France
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 Dotclear or FlatPress better?
Neither is universally better. FlatPress has the larger community; both share a easy setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Dotclear and FlatPress free and open-source?
Yes. Dotclear is licensed under GPL-2.0 and FlatPress under GPL-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Dotclear and FlatPress with Docker?
Dotclear: yes. FlatPress: check the project docs for container support.
Which is lighter on resources, Dotclear or FlatPress?
FlatPress has the smaller minimum footprint at 128 MB of RAM, compared to about 256 MB for Dotclear. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.