Orchard Core vs Zola
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted apps from related categories — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Not the right match-up?
Orchard Core
Modular, multi-tenant CMS built on ASP.NET Core
VS
Zola
Fast static site engine in a single binary
| Feature | Orchard Core | Zola |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Content Management Systems | Blogging Platforms |
| License | BSD-3-Clause | MIT |
| Language | C# | Rust |
| Setup difficulty | Hard | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 1,024 MB | 128 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal, source | binary, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 8,148 | ★ 17,308 |
| First released | 2018 | 2017 |
| Replaces | Sitecore, WordPress | WordPress, Medium |
Why pick each one
Frequently asked questions
Is Orchard Core or Zola better?
Zola is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler medium setup. Consider Orchard Core if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are Orchard Core and Zola free and open-source?
Yes. Orchard Core is licensed under BSD-3-Clause and Zola under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Orchard Core and Zola with Docker?
Orchard Core: yes. Zola: check the project docs for container support.