Hexo vs Textpattern
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted blogging platforms options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | Hexo | Textpattern |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Read-the-docs project | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 98 · Excellent | 78 · Good |
| Category | Blogging Platforms | Blogging Platforms |
| License | MIT | GPL-2.0 |
| Language | TypeScript | PHP |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 256 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | binary, source | docker, bare-metal, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 41,774 | ★ 881 |
| First released | 2012 | 2004 |
| Replaces | WordPress, Blogger | WordPress, Blogger |
What are Hexo and Textpattern?
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
Textpattern
Textpattern is a long-established open-source CMS and blogging platform known for clean markup and a flexible tag-based templating system. It appeals to designers who want precise control.
- Tag-based templating
- Clean semantic markup
- Lightweight core
- Plugin support
Hexo vs Textpattern: key differences
Hexo is written in TypeScript, while Textpattern is built with PHP. Licensing differs — MIT for Hexo versus GPL-2.0 for Textpattern. Textpattern is the more established project (first released 2004), while Hexo arrived in 2012. Hexo has the considerably larger community, at 41,774 GitHub stars versus 881. Textpattern lists first-class Docker deployment; Hexo does not.
Why pick each one
Choose Hexo if…
- Popular with developers
- Rich plugin ecosystem
Watch out for
- No admin UI
- Node toolchain required
Choose Textpattern if…
- Precise control over output
- Stable and lightweight
Watch out for
- Tag syntax has a learning curve
- Smaller plugin ecosystem
Frequently asked questions
Is Hexo or Textpattern 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 Textpattern free and open-source?
Yes. Hexo is licensed under MIT and Textpattern under GPL-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Hexo and Textpattern with Docker?
Hexo: check the project docs for container support. Textpattern: yes.