Halo vs Marmite
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted blogging platforms options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | Halo | Marmite |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Read-the-docs project |
| Health score | 99 · Excellent | 82 · Excellent |
| Category | Blogging Platforms | Blogging Platforms |
| License | GPL-3.0 | MIT |
| Language | Java | Rust |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 1,024 MB | 64 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal, source | binary, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 39,879 | ★ 875 |
| First released | 2018 | 2024 |
| Replaces | WordPress, Medium | Medium |
What are Halo and Marmite?
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
Marmite
Marmite is a static site generator focused on blogs that turns a folder of Markdown files into a complete website with zero configuration. It supports tags, RSS feeds, and themes while keeping setup effortless.
- Zero configuration
- Markdown to blog
- Tags and RSS
- Single fast binary
Halo vs Marmite: key differences
Halo is written in Java, while Marmite is built with Rust. Licensing differs — GPL-3.0 for Halo versus MIT for Marmite. Marmite is the lighter option, starting around 64 MB of RAM against 1,024 MB for Halo. Halo is the more established project (first released 2018), while Marmite arrived in 2024. Halo has the considerably larger community, at 39,879 GitHub stars versus 875. Halo lists first-class Docker deployment; Marmite does not.
Why pick each one
Choose Halo if…
- Polished modern UI
- Active development
Watch out for
- Higher memory needs from Java
- Docs strongest in Chinese
Frequently asked questions
Is Halo or Marmite better?
Neither is universally better. Halo has the larger community, while Marmite is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are Halo and Marmite free and open-source?
Yes. Halo is licensed under GPL-3.0 and Marmite under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Halo and Marmite with Docker?
Halo: yes. Marmite: check the project docs for container support.
Which is lighter on resources, Halo or Marmite?
Marmite has the smaller minimum footprint at 64 MB of RAM, compared to about 1,024 MB for Halo. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.