SPIP vs Textpattern

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?
FeatureSPIPTextpattern
CategoryContent Management SystemsBlogging Platforms
LicenseGPL-3.0-or-laterGPL-2.0
LanguagePHP
Setup difficultyEasyMedium
Min. RAM50 MB256 MB
Deploymentbare-metaldocker, bare-metal, source
GitHub stars★ 878
First released20232004
ReplacesBlogger, Coldfusion, WixWordPress, Blogger

Why pick each one

Choose SPIP if…

  • Released under the GPL-3.0-or-later license
  • Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
  • Tiny footprint — runs in 50 MB RAM
SPIP details

Choose Textpattern if…

  • Precise control over output
  • Stable and lightweight
Textpattern details

Frequently asked questions

Is SPIP or Textpattern better?

Neither is universally better. Textpattern has the larger community, while SPIP is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.

Are SPIP and Textpattern free and open-source?

Yes. SPIP is licensed under GPL-3.0-or-later and Textpattern under GPL-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.

Can I run SPIP and Textpattern with Docker?

SPIP: check the project docs for container support. Textpattern: yes.

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