Hugo vs Zola
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?
Hugo
Blazing fast static site generator for blogs and sites
VS
Zola
Fast static site engine in a single binary
| Feature | Hugo | Zola |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Blogging Platforms | Blogging Platforms |
| License | Apache-2.0 | MIT |
| Language | Go | Rust |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 128 MB | 128 MB |
| Deployment | binary, source | binary, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 89,369 | ★ 17,308 |
| First released | 2013 | 2017 |
| Replaces | WordPress, Medium | WordPress, Medium |
Why pick each one
Frequently asked questions
Is Hugo or Zola better?
Neither is universally better. Hugo has the larger community; both share a medium setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Hugo and Zola free and open-source?
Yes. Hugo is licensed under Apache-2.0 and Zola under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Hugo and Zola with Docker?
Hugo: check the project docs for container support. Zola: check the project docs for container support.