HTMLy vs Jekyll
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted blogging platforms options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | HTMLy | Jekyll |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Read-the-docs project |
| Health score | 56 · Fair | 85 · Excellent |
| Category | Blogging Platforms | Blogging Platforms |
| License | MIT | MIT |
| Language | PHP | Ruby |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 128 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal, source | binary, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 1,364 | ★ 51,683 |
| First released | 2014 | 2008 |
| Replaces | WordPress, Blogger | WordPress, Blogger |
What are HTMLy and Jekyll?
HTMLy
HTMLy is an open-source databaseless flat-file blogging platform written in PHP. It is fast, lightweight, and stores all posts as text files for easy backup and migration.
- Databaseless flat-file storage
- Markdown content
- Multi-user roles
- Built-in themes
Jekyll
Jekyll is a popular open-source static site generator that transforms Markdown and Liquid templates into static blogs and websites. It pioneered the modern static-site approach and integrates with GitHub Pages.
- Blog-aware by design
- Markdown and Liquid templating
- Large plugin ecosystem
- GitHub Pages support
HTMLy vs Jekyll: key differences
HTMLy is written in PHP, while Jekyll is built with Ruby. HTMLy is the lighter option, starting around 128 MB of RAM against 256 MB for Jekyll. Jekyll is the more established project (first released 2008), while HTMLy arrived in 2014. Jekyll has the considerably larger community, at 51,683 GitHub stars versus 1,364. HTMLy lists first-class Docker deployment; Jekyll does not.
Why pick each one
Choose HTMLy if…
- No database to maintain
- Fast and lightweight
Watch out for
- Limited plugin ecosystem
- Small community
Choose Jekyll if…
- Mature and well documented
- Great for personal blogs
Watch out for
- Slower builds on large sites
- Ruby toolchain required
Frequently asked questions
Is HTMLy or Jekyll better?
Neither is universally better. Jekyll has the larger community, while HTMLy is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are HTMLy and Jekyll free and open-source?
Yes. HTMLy is licensed under MIT and Jekyll under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run HTMLy and Jekyll with Docker?
HTMLy: yes. Jekyll: check the project docs for container support.
Which is lighter on resources, HTMLy or Jekyll?
HTMLy has the smaller minimum footprint at 128 MB of RAM, compared to about 256 MB for Jekyll. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.