Jekyll vs Nibbleblog
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted blogging platforms options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Jekyll
Simple, blog-aware static site generator
VS
Nibbleblog
Archived
Simple, fast blog engine that needs no database
| Feature | Jekyll | Nibbleblog |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Read-the-docs project | Read-the-docs project |
| Health score | 85 · Excellent | 7 · At risk |
| Status | Actively maintained | Archived |
| Category | Blogging Platforms | Blogging Platforms |
| License | MIT | GPL-3.0 |
| Language | Ruby | PHP |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 256 MB | 128 MB |
| Deployment | binary, source | bare-metal, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 51,683 | ★ 227 |
| First released | 2008 | 2009 |
| Replaces | WordPress, Blogger | WordPress, Blogger |
What are Jekyll and Nibbleblog?
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
Nibbleblog
Nibbleblog is a simple, lightweight blog engine written in PHP that stores its data in XML files rather than a database. It is designed for quick setup of a personal blog.
- No database required
- XML-based storage
- Plugin support
- Quick installation
Jekyll vs Nibbleblog: key differences
The biggest difference is maintenance: Nibbleblog's repository is archived and no longer developed, while Jekyll is actively maintained. Jekyll is written in Ruby, while Nibbleblog is built with PHP. Licensing differs — MIT for Jekyll versus GPL-3.0 for Nibbleblog. Nibbleblog is the lighter option, starting around 128 MB of RAM against 256 MB for Jekyll. Jekyll has the considerably larger community, at 51,683 GitHub stars versus 227.
Why pick each one
Choose Jekyll if…
- Mature and well documented
- Great for personal blogs
Watch out for
- Slower builds on large sites
- Ruby toolchain required
Choose Nibbleblog if…
- Very easy to install
- Easy to back up
Watch out for
- Development is inactive
- Limited features
Frequently asked questions
Is Jekyll or Nibbleblog better?
Neither is universally better. Jekyll has the larger community, while Nibbleblog is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are Jekyll and Nibbleblog free and open-source?
Yes. Jekyll is licensed under MIT and Nibbleblog under GPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Jekyll and Nibbleblog with Docker?
Jekyll: check the project docs for container support. Nibbleblog: check the project docs for container support.
Which is lighter on resources, Jekyll or Nibbleblog?
Nibbleblog 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.