Gatsby vs Publii
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
Publii
Desktop CMS for building static blogs and sites
| Feature | Gatsby | Publii |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Read-the-docs project | Read-the-docs project |
| Health score | 96 · Excellent | 91 · Excellent |
| Category | Blogging Platforms | Blogging Platforms |
| License | MIT | GPL-3.0 |
| Language | JavaScript | HTML |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 1,024 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | binary, source | binary, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 55,942 | ★ 7,318 |
| First released | 2015 | 2017 |
| Replaces | WordPress, Medium | WordPress, Squarespace |
What are Gatsby and Publii?
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
Publii
Publii is an open-source desktop application for building fast, secure static websites and blogs. It provides a friendly graphical interface and publishes the generated site to hosting or Git.
- Desktop GUI for static sites
- One-click publishing
- Built-in themes
- No server runtime needed
Gatsby vs Publii: key differences
Gatsby is written in JavaScript, while Publii is built with HTML. Licensing differs — MIT for Gatsby versus GPL-3.0 for Publii. Publii is the lighter option, starting around 512 MB of RAM against 1,024 MB for Gatsby. Gatsby is the more established project (first released 2015), while Publii arrived in 2017. Gatsby has the considerably larger community, at 55,942 GitHub stars versus 7,318.
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 Publii if…
- Very approachable for non-developers
- Secure static output
Watch out for
- Single-author workflow
- Desktop app required to edit
Frequently asked questions
Is Gatsby or Publii better?
Neither is universally better. Gatsby has the larger community, while Publii is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are Gatsby and Publii free and open-source?
Yes. Gatsby is licensed under MIT and Publii under GPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Gatsby and Publii with Docker?
Gatsby: check the project docs for container support. Publii: check the project docs for container support.
Which is lighter on resources, Gatsby or Publii?
Publii has the smaller minimum footprint at 512 MB of RAM, compared to about 1,024 MB for Gatsby. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.