HTMLy vs Serendipity
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted blogging platforms options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | HTMLy | Serendipity |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 56 · Fair | 76 · Good |
| Category | Blogging Platforms | Blogging Platforms |
| License | MIT | BSD-3-Clause |
| Language | PHP | PHP |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 128 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal, source | docker, bare-metal, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 1,364 | ★ 227 |
| First released | 2014 | 2003 |
| Replaces | WordPress, Blogger | WordPress, Blogger |
What are HTMLy and Serendipity?
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
Serendipity
Serendipity is an open-source PHP and MySQL-powered weblog application that emphasizes ease of use and effective spam protection. It supports plugins, themes, and multiple blogs.
- Strong built-in spam protection
- Plugin and theme system
- Multiple blog support
- Easy upgrades
HTMLy vs Serendipity: key differences
Both projects are written in PHP. Licensing differs — MIT for HTMLy versus BSD-3-Clause for Serendipity. HTMLy is the lighter option, starting around 128 MB of RAM against 256 MB for Serendipity. Serendipity is the more established project (first released 2003), while HTMLy arrived in 2014. HTMLy has the considerably larger community, at 1,364 GitHub stars versus 227.
Why pick each one
Choose HTMLy if…
- No database to maintain
- Fast and lightweight
Watch out for
- Limited plugin ecosystem
- Small community
Choose Serendipity if…
- Excellent spam handling
- Stable long-running project
Watch out for
- Small modern community
- Dated default themes
Frequently asked questions
Is HTMLy or Serendipity better?
Neither is universally better. HTMLy has the larger community; both share a easy setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are HTMLy and Serendipity free and open-source?
Yes. HTMLy is licensed under MIT and Serendipity under BSD-3-Clause. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run HTMLy and Serendipity with Docker?
HTMLy: yes. Serendipity: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, HTMLy or Serendipity?
HTMLy has the smaller minimum footprint at 128 MB of RAM, compared to about 256 MB for Serendipity. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.