Poole vs Publ
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted blogging platforms options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | Poole | Publ |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Read-the-docs project | Read-the-docs project |
| Health score | 0 · At risk | 69 · Good |
| Status | Archived | Actively maintained |
| Category | Blogging Platforms | Blogging Platforms |
| License | MIT | MIT |
| Language | Python | Python |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 64 MB | 128 MB |
| Deployment | source, bare-metal | bare-metal, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 31 | ★ 41 |
| First released | 2009 | 2018 |
| Replaces | Jekyll | WordPress, Jekyll |
What are Poole and Publ?
Poole
Poole is a markup-agnostic, single-file static website generator written in Python that keeps the build process deliberately tiny. It is suited for small personal sites and blogs where minimalism is preferred.
- Single-file generator
- Markup-agnostic
- Embedded Python in pages
- Tiny footprint
Publ
Publ is a Python content management and blogging engine that publishes content directly from files in a directory tree. It supports image galleries, Markdown content, and templated layouts without a separate database for content.
- File-based content publishing
- Built-in image gallery support
- Markdown and template driven
- No content database required
Poole vs Publ: key differences
The biggest difference is maintenance: Poole's repository is archived and no longer developed, while Publ is actively maintained. Both projects are written in Python. Poole is the lighter option, starting around 64 MB of RAM against 128 MB for Publ. Poole is the more established project (first released 2009), while Publ arrived in 2018.
Why pick each one
Choose Poole if…
- Released under the MIT license
- Written in Python
- Tiny footprint — runs in 64 MB RAM
Choose Publ if…
- Released under the MIT license
- Written in Python
- Tiny footprint — runs in 128 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is Poole or Publ better?
Neither is universally better. Publ has the larger community; both share a medium setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Poole and Publ free and open-source?
Yes. Poole is licensed under MIT and Publ under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Poole and Publ with Docker?
Poole: check the project docs for container support. Publ: check the project docs for container support.
Which is lighter on resources, Poole or Publ?
Poole has the smaller minimum footprint at 64 MB of RAM, compared to about 128 MB for Publ. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.