Hexo vs Publii
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
Publii
Desktop CMS for building static blogs and sites
| Feature | Hexo | Publii |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Blogging Platforms | Blogging Platforms |
| License | MIT | GPL-3.0 |
| Language | TypeScript | HTML |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 256 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | binary, source | binary, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 41,769 | ★ 7,282 |
| First released | 2012 | 2017 |
| Replaces | WordPress, Blogger | WordPress, Squarespace |
Why pick each one
Frequently asked questions
Is Hexo or Publii better?
Neither is universally better. Hexo has the larger community, while Publii is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are Hexo and Publii free and open-source?
Yes. Hexo is licensed under MIT and Publii under GPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Hexo and Publii with Docker?
Hexo: check the project docs for container support. Publii: check the project docs for container support.