FlatPress vs Pelican
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted blogging platforms options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Not the right match-up?
FlatPress
Database-free blogging engine that is easy to host
VS
Pelican
Static site generator for Python and Markdown lovers
| Feature | FlatPress | Pelican |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Blogging Platforms | Blogging Platforms |
| License | GPL-2.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | PHP | Python |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 128 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | bare-metal, source | binary, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 215 | ★ 13,331 |
| First released | 2005 | 2010 |
| Replaces | WordPress, Blogger | WordPress, Blogger |
Why pick each one
Frequently asked questions
Is FlatPress or Pelican better?
Neither is universally better. Pelican 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 Pelican free and open-source?
Yes. FlatPress is licensed under GPL-2.0 and Pelican under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run FlatPress and Pelican with Docker?
FlatPress: check the project docs for container support. Pelican: check the project docs for container support.