Gatsby vs Halo
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted blogging platforms options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Gatsby
React-based static site and blog generator
VS
Halo
Powerful and easy-to-use open-source website builder
| Feature | Gatsby | Halo |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Read-the-docs project | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 96 · Excellent | 99 · Excellent |
| Category | Blogging Platforms | Blogging Platforms |
| License | MIT | GPL-3.0 |
| Language | JavaScript | Java |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 1,024 MB | 1,024 MB |
| Deployment | binary, source | docker, bare-metal, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 55,942 | ★ 39,879 |
| First released | 2015 | 2018 |
| Replaces | WordPress, Medium | WordPress, Medium |
What are Gatsby and Halo?
Gatsby
Gatsby is an open-source React-based framework for building fast static websites and blogs. It pulls content from many sources via a GraphQL data layer and produces highly optimized output.
- React-powered sites
- GraphQL data layer
- Rich plugin ecosystem
- Performance-optimized output
Halo
Halo is a modern open-source blogging and website platform written in Java. It offers a clean admin interface, a plugin and theme marketplace, and an extensible architecture.
- Modern admin interface
- Plugin and theme marketplace
- REST API
- Markdown editor
Gatsby vs Halo: key differences
Gatsby is written in JavaScript, while Halo is built with Java. Licensing differs — MIT for Gatsby versus GPL-3.0 for Halo. Gatsby is the more established project (first released 2015), while Halo arrived in 2018. Halo lists first-class Docker deployment; Gatsby does not.
Why pick each one
Choose Gatsby if…
- Great for React developers
- Pulls content from many sources
Watch out for
- Heavier build process
- Steeper learning curve
Choose Halo if…
- Polished modern UI
- Active development
Watch out for
- Higher memory needs from Java
- Docs strongest in Chinese
Frequently asked questions
Is Gatsby or Halo better?
Neither is universally better. Gatsby has the larger community; both share a medium setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Gatsby and Halo free and open-source?
Yes. Gatsby is licensed under MIT and Halo under GPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Gatsby and Halo with Docker?
Gatsby: check the project docs for container support. Halo: yes.