Known 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?
| Feature | Known | Zola |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Blogging Platforms | Blogging Platforms |
| License | Apache-2.0 | MIT |
| Language | PHP | Rust |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 128 MB |
| Deployment | bare-metal | binary, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 1,121 | ★ 17,308 |
| First released | 2026 | 2017 |
| Replaces | — | WordPress, Medium |
Why pick each one
Choose Known if…
- Released under the Apache-2.0 license
- Active community (1.1k GitHub stars)
- Written in PHP
- Lightweight — runs in 512 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is Known or Zola better?
Neither is universally better. Zola has the larger community; both share a medium setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Known and Zola free and open-source?
Yes. Known is licensed under Apache-2.0 and Zola under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Known and Zola with Docker?
Known: check the project docs for container support. Zola: check the project docs for container support.