Harp vs JBake
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
JBake
Java-based static site and blog generator
| Feature | Harp | JBake |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Blogging Platforms | Blogging Platforms |
| License | MIT | MIT |
| Language | JavaScript | Java |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 128 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | source, binary | binary, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 4,995 | ★ 1,155 |
| First released | 2013 | 2013 |
| Replaces | Jekyll | Jekyll, WordPress |
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 JBake if…
- Released under the MIT license
- Active community (1.2k GitHub stars)
- Written in Java
- Tiny footprint — runs in 256 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is Harp or JBake better?
Harp is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider JBake if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are Harp and JBake free and open-source?
Yes. Harp is licensed under MIT and JBake under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Harp and JBake with Docker?
Harp: check the project docs for container support. JBake: check the project docs for container support.