Jekyll vs PluXml
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted blogging platforms options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | Jekyll | PluXml |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Read-the-docs project | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 85 · Excellent | 76 · Good |
| Category | Blogging Platforms | Blogging Platforms |
| License | MIT | GPL-2.0 |
| Language | Ruby | PHP |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 256 MB | 128 MB |
| Deployment | binary, source | bare-metal, docker, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 51,683 | ★ 235 |
| First released | 2008 | 2007 |
| Replaces | WordPress, Blogger | WordPress, Blogger |
What are Jekyll and PluXml?
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
PluXml
PluXml is an open-source blog and content management system that stores all content in XML files, requiring no database. It is lightweight and aimed at simple personal sites and blogs.
- XML flat-file storage
- No database required
- Theme and plugin support
- Lightweight
Jekyll vs PluXml: key differences
Jekyll is written in Ruby, while PluXml is built with PHP. Licensing differs — MIT for Jekyll versus GPL-2.0 for PluXml. PluXml 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 235. PluXml lists first-class Docker deployment; Jekyll does not.
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 PluXml if…
- No database needed
- Easy to back up
Watch out for
- Smaller community
- Limited modern themes
Frequently asked questions
Is Jekyll or PluXml better?
Neither is universally better. Jekyll has the larger community, while PluXml is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are Jekyll and PluXml free and open-source?
Yes. Jekyll is licensed under MIT and PluXml under GPL-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Jekyll and PluXml with Docker?
Jekyll: check the project docs for container support. PluXml: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Jekyll or PluXml?
PluXml 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.