FlatPress vs Hexo
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted blogging platforms options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | FlatPress | Hexo |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Read-the-docs project | Read-the-docs project |
| Health score | 73 · Good | 98 · Excellent |
| Category | Blogging Platforms | Blogging Platforms |
| License | GPL-2.0 | MIT |
| Language | PHP | TypeScript |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 128 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | bare-metal, source | binary, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 215 | ★ 41,774 |
| First released | 2005 | 2012 |
| Replaces | WordPress, Blogger | WordPress, Blogger |
What are FlatPress and Hexo?
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
Hexo
Hexo is an open-source static blog framework built with Node.js that turns Markdown into a fast static site. It is widely used by developers for personal blogs with a rich plugin ecosystem.
- Fast Markdown-based builds
- Large plugin and theme ecosystem
- One-command deployment
- Highly extensible
FlatPress vs Hexo: key differences
FlatPress is written in PHP, while Hexo is built with TypeScript. Licensing differs — GPL-2.0 for FlatPress versus MIT for Hexo. FlatPress is the lighter option, starting around 128 MB of RAM against 256 MB for Hexo. FlatPress is the more established project (first released 2005), while Hexo arrived in 2012. Hexo has the considerably larger community, at 41,774 GitHub stars versus 215.
Why pick each one
Choose FlatPress if…
- Trivial to install and back up
- Runs on minimal hosting
Watch out for
- Small community
- Basic feature set
Choose Hexo if…
- Popular with developers
- Rich plugin ecosystem
Watch out for
- No admin UI
- Node toolchain required
Frequently asked questions
Is FlatPress or Hexo better?
Neither is universally better. Hexo has the larger community, while FlatPress is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are FlatPress and Hexo free and open-source?
Yes. FlatPress is licensed under GPL-2.0 and Hexo under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run FlatPress and Hexo with Docker?
FlatPress: check the project docs for container support. Hexo: check the project docs for container support.
Which is lighter on resources, FlatPress or Hexo?
FlatPress has the smaller minimum footprint at 128 MB of RAM, compared to about 256 MB for Hexo. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.