Halo vs Orchid
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?
Halo
Powerful and easy-to-use open-source website builder
VS
Orchid
Static site generator for documentation and blogs on the JVM
| Feature | Halo | Orchid |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Blogging Platforms | Blogging Platforms |
| License | GPL-3.0 | LGPL-3.0 |
| Language | Java | Kotlin |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 1,024 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal, source | binary, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 39,485 | ★ 529 |
| First released | 2018 | 2017 |
| Replaces | WordPress, Medium | Jekyll, GitBook |
Why pick each one
Choose Orchid if…
- Released under the LGPL-3.0 license
- Written in Kotlin
- Tiny footprint — runs in 256 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is Halo or Orchid better?
Neither is universally better. Halo has the larger community; both share a medium setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Halo and Orchid free and open-source?
Yes. Halo is licensed under GPL-3.0 and Orchid under LGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Halo and Orchid with Docker?
Halo: yes. Orchid: check the project docs for container support.