Gatsby vs Pencil
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?
Gatsby
React-based static site and blog generator
VS
Pencil
Static site generator library built in Haskell
| Feature | Gatsby | Pencil |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Blogging Platforms | Blogging Platforms |
| License | MIT | BSD-3-Clause |
| Language | JavaScript | Haskell |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Hard |
| Min. RAM | 1,024 MB | 64 MB |
| Deployment | binary, source | source, binary |
| GitHub stars | ★ 55,939 | ★ 5 |
| First released | 2015 | 2017 |
| Replaces | WordPress, Medium | Jekyll |
Why pick each one
Choose Pencil if…
- Released under the BSD-3-Clause license
- Written in Haskell
- Tiny footprint — runs in 64 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is Gatsby or Pencil better?
Gatsby is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler medium setup. Consider Pencil if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are Gatsby and Pencil free and open-source?
Yes. Gatsby is licensed under MIT and Pencil under BSD-3-Clause. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Gatsby and Pencil with Docker?
Gatsby: check the project docs for container support. Pencil: check the project docs for container support.