Harp vs Publ
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted blogging platforms options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | Harp | Publ |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Read-the-docs project | Read-the-docs project |
| Health score | 66 · Good | 69 · Good |
| Category | Blogging Platforms | Blogging Platforms |
| License | MIT | MIT |
| Language | JavaScript | Python |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 128 MB | 128 MB |
| Deployment | source, binary | bare-metal, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 4,995 | ★ 41 |
| First released | 2013 | 2018 |
| Replaces | Jekyll | WordPress, Jekyll |
What are Harp and Publ?
Harp
Harp is a static web server and site generator that serves Jade, Markdown, EJS, CoffeeScript, Sass, LESS, and Stylus as HTML, CSS, and JavaScript without any configuration. It can compile a project to a deployable static site.
- Zero-config preprocessing
- Built-in web server
- Compiles to static site
- Multiple template languages
Publ
Publ is a Python content management and blogging engine that publishes content directly from files in a directory tree. It supports image galleries, Markdown content, and templated layouts without a separate database for content.
- File-based content publishing
- Built-in image gallery support
- Markdown and template driven
- No content database required
Harp vs Publ: key differences
Harp is written in JavaScript, while Publ is built with Python. Harp is the more established project (first released 2013), while Publ arrived in 2018. Harp has the considerably larger community, at 4,995 GitHub stars versus 41.
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 Publ if…
- Released under the MIT license
- Written in Python
- Tiny footprint — runs in 128 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is Harp or Publ better?
Harp is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider Publ if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are Harp and Publ free and open-source?
Yes. Harp is licensed under MIT and Publ under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Harp and Publ with Docker?
Harp: check the project docs for container support. Publ: check the project docs for container support.