Eleventy vs PageCord
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted blogging platforms options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Eleventy
Simpler static site generator for fast websites
VS
PageCord
Email-to-blog platform that turns messages into posts
| Feature | Eleventy | PageCord |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Read-the-docs project | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 95 · Excellent | 56 · Fair |
| Category | Blogging Platforms | Blogging Platforms |
| License | MIT | MIT |
| Language | JavaScript | Ruby |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 256 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | binary, source | docker, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 19,929 | ★ 190 |
| First released | 2018 | 2024 |
| Replaces | WordPress, Medium | Medium, Posthaven |
What are Eleventy and PageCord?
Eleventy
Eleventy is a flexible open-source static site generator written in JavaScript that works with many templating languages. It is popular for blogs and documentation due to its simplicity and speed.
- Supports many template languages
- Fast incremental builds
- Zero client-side JavaScript by default
- Flexible data cascade
PageCord
PageCord is an open-source blogging platform where you publish posts simply by sending an email. It is built with Ruby on Rails and focuses on a minimal, distraction-free writing workflow.
- Publish posts by email
- Minimal writing-focused design
- Custom domains and RSS
- Built on Ruby on Rails
Eleventy vs PageCord: key differences
Eleventy is written in JavaScript, while PageCord is built with Ruby. Eleventy is the lighter option, starting around 256 MB of RAM against 512 MB for PageCord. Eleventy is the more established project (first released 2018), while PageCord arrived in 2024. Eleventy has the considerably larger community, at 19,929 GitHub stars versus 190. PageCord lists first-class Docker deployment; Eleventy does not.
Why pick each one
Choose Eleventy if…
- Very flexible templating
- Lean output
Watch out for
- No built-in admin
- Requires Node tooling
Choose PageCord if…
- Released under the MIT license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Written in Ruby
- Lightweight — runs in 512 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is Eleventy or PageCord better?
Neither is universally better. Eleventy has the larger community; both share a medium setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Eleventy and PageCord free and open-source?
Yes. Eleventy is licensed under MIT and PageCord under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Eleventy and PageCord with Docker?
Eleventy: check the project docs for container support. PageCord: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Eleventy or PageCord?
Eleventy has the smaller minimum footprint at 256 MB of RAM, compared to about 512 MB for PageCord. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.