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.
Not the right match-up?
Harp
Static web server with built-in preprocessing
VS
Publ
Flexible file-based publishing system for blogs and galleries
| Feature | Harp | Publ |
|---|---|---|
| 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 |
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.