Pelican vs Shuttlecraft
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?
Pelican
Static site generator for Python and Markdown lovers
VS
Shuttlecraft
Single-user IndieWeb blog with ActivityPub support
| Feature | Pelican | Shuttlecraft |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Blogging Platforms | Blogging Platforms |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | MIT |
| Language | Python | JavaScript |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 256 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | binary, source | docker, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 13,331 | ★ 271 |
| First released | 2010 | 2023 |
| Replaces | WordPress, Blogger | Twitter, Mastodon |
Why pick each one
Choose Shuttlecraft if…
- Released under the MIT license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Written in JavaScript
- Tiny footprint — runs in 256 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is Pelican or Shuttlecraft better?
Neither is universally better. Pelican has the larger community; both share a medium setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Pelican and Shuttlecraft free and open-source?
Yes. Pelican is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and Shuttlecraft under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Pelican and Shuttlecraft with Docker?
Pelican: check the project docs for container support. Shuttlecraft: yes.