Harp vs Haunt
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?
Harp
Static web server with built-in preprocessing
VS
Haunt
Programmable static site and blog generator in Scheme
| Feature | Harp | Haunt |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Blogging Platforms | Blogging Platforms |
| License | MIT | GPL-3.0 |
| Language | JavaScript | Scheme |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 128 MB | 128 MB |
| Deployment | source, binary | source, binary |
| GitHub stars | ★ 4,995 | ★ 400 |
| First released | 2013 | 2015 |
| Replaces | Jekyll | Jekyll |
Why pick each one
Choose Harp if…
- Released under the MIT license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- Active community (5k GitHub stars)
- Written in JavaScript
Choose Haunt if…
- Released under the GPL-3.0 license
- Written in Scheme
- Tiny footprint — runs in 128 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is Harp or Haunt better?
Harp is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider Haunt if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are Harp and Haunt free and open-source?
Yes. Harp is licensed under MIT and Haunt under GPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Harp and Haunt with Docker?
Harp: check the project docs for container support. Haunt: check the project docs for container support.