Hexo Admin vs Zola
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?
Hexo Admin
Web-based admin interface for the Hexo blog generator
VS
Zola
Fast static site engine in a single binary
| Feature | Hexo Admin | Zola |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Blogging Platforms | Blogging Platforms |
| License | MIT | MIT |
| Language | JavaScript | Rust |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 128 MB | 128 MB |
| Deployment | source, bare-metal | binary, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 1,791 | ★ 17,308 |
| First released | 2014 | 2017 |
| Replaces | WordPress | WordPress, Medium |
Why pick each one
Choose Hexo Admin if…
- Released under the MIT license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- Active community (1.8k GitHub stars)
- Written in JavaScript
Frequently asked questions
Is Hexo Admin or Zola better?
Neither is universally better. Zola has the larger community, while Hexo Admin is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are Hexo Admin and Zola free and open-source?
Yes. Hexo Admin is licensed under MIT and Zola under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Hexo Admin and Zola with Docker?
Hexo Admin: check the project docs for container support. Zola: check the project docs for container support.