Hexo vs Nibbleblog
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted blogging platforms options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | Hexo | Nibbleblog |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Read-the-docs project | Read-the-docs project |
| Health score | 98 · Excellent | 7 · At risk |
| Status | Actively maintained | Archived |
| Category | Blogging Platforms | Blogging Platforms |
| License | MIT | GPL-3.0 |
| Language | TypeScript | PHP |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 256 MB | 128 MB |
| Deployment | binary, source | bare-metal, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 41,774 | ★ 227 |
| First released | 2012 | 2009 |
| Replaces | WordPress, Blogger | WordPress, Blogger |
What are Hexo and Nibbleblog?
Hexo
Hexo is an open-source static blog framework built with Node.js that turns Markdown into a fast static site. It is widely used by developers for personal blogs with a rich plugin ecosystem.
- Fast Markdown-based builds
- Large plugin and theme ecosystem
- One-command deployment
- Highly extensible
Nibbleblog
Nibbleblog is a simple, lightweight blog engine written in PHP that stores its data in XML files rather than a database. It is designed for quick setup of a personal blog.
- No database required
- XML-based storage
- Plugin support
- Quick installation
Hexo vs Nibbleblog: key differences
The biggest difference is maintenance: Nibbleblog's repository is archived and no longer developed, while Hexo is actively maintained. Hexo is written in TypeScript, while Nibbleblog is built with PHP. Licensing differs — MIT for Hexo versus GPL-3.0 for Nibbleblog. Nibbleblog is the lighter option, starting around 128 MB of RAM against 256 MB for Hexo. Nibbleblog is the more established project (first released 2009), while Hexo arrived in 2012. Hexo has the considerably larger community, at 41,774 GitHub stars versus 227.
Why pick each one
Choose Hexo if…
- Popular with developers
- Rich plugin ecosystem
Watch out for
- No admin UI
- Node toolchain required
Choose Nibbleblog if…
- Very easy to install
- Easy to back up
Watch out for
- Development is inactive
- Limited features
Frequently asked questions
Is Hexo or Nibbleblog better?
Neither is universally better. Hexo has the larger community, while Nibbleblog is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are Hexo and Nibbleblog free and open-source?
Yes. Hexo is licensed under MIT and Nibbleblog under GPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Hexo and Nibbleblog with Docker?
Hexo: check the project docs for container support. Nibbleblog: check the project docs for container support.
Which is lighter on resources, Hexo or Nibbleblog?
Nibbleblog has the smaller minimum footprint at 128 MB of RAM, compared to about 256 MB for Hexo. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.