Hexo vs Known
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
Fast and simple blog framework powered by Node.js
VS
Known
Collaborative social publishing platform
| Feature | Hexo | Known |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Blogging Platforms | Blogging Platforms |
| License | MIT | Apache-2.0 |
| Language | TypeScript | PHP |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 256 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | binary, source | bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 41,769 | ★ 1,121 |
| First released | 2012 | 2026 |
| Replaces | WordPress, Blogger | — |
Why pick each one
Choose Known if…
- Released under the Apache-2.0 license
- Active community (1.1k GitHub stars)
- Written in PHP
- Lightweight — runs in 512 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is Hexo or Known better?
Neither is universally better. Hexo has the larger community; both share a medium setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Hexo and Known free and open-source?
Yes. Hexo is licensed under MIT and Known under Apache-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Hexo and Known with Docker?
Hexo: check the project docs for container support. Known: check the project docs for container support.