Halo vs Textpattern

A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted blogging platforms options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.

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FeatureHaloTextpattern
CategoryBlogging PlatformsBlogging Platforms
LicenseGPL-3.0GPL-2.0
LanguageJavaPHP
Setup difficultyMediumMedium
Min. RAM1,024 MB256 MB
Deploymentdocker, bare-metal, sourcedocker, bare-metal, source
GitHub stars★ 39,485★ 878
First released20182004
ReplacesWordPress, MediumWordPress, Blogger

Why pick each one

Choose Halo if…

  • Polished modern UI
  • Active development
Halo details

Choose Textpattern if…

  • Precise control over output
  • Stable and lightweight
Textpattern details

Frequently asked questions

Is Halo or Textpattern 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 Textpattern free and open-source?

Yes. Halo is licensed under GPL-3.0 and Textpattern under GPL-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.

Can I run Halo and Textpattern with Docker?

Halo: yes. Textpattern: yes.

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