Shuttlecraft 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?
Shuttlecraft
Single-user IndieWeb blog with ActivityPub support
VS
Zola
Fast static site engine in a single binary
| Feature | Shuttlecraft | Zola |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Blogging Platforms | Blogging Platforms |
| License | MIT | MIT |
| Language | JavaScript | Rust |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 256 MB | 128 MB |
| Deployment | docker, source | binary, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 271 | ★ 17,308 |
| First released | 2023 | 2017 |
| Replaces | Twitter, Mastodon | WordPress, Medium |
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 Shuttlecraft 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 Shuttlecraft and Zola free and open-source?
Yes. Shuttlecraft is licensed under MIT and Zola under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Shuttlecraft and Zola with Docker?
Shuttlecraft: yes. Zola: check the project docs for container support.