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Pelican vs Hexo
Compare Pelican and Hexo to find the best tool for your needs.
Pelican
A Python-based static site generator that supports Markdown and reStructuredText, ideal for technical blogs.
See all detailsVS
Hexo
A fast, simple & powerful blog framework powered by Node.js, popular in the developer community.
See all detailsQuick overview
Pricing
Free (open source)
Free (open source)
Pros & Cons
Pelican
Pros
- Written in Python
- No database required
- Markdown and reStructuredText support
- Extensible plugin system
- Active community and development
Cons
- Command-line focused workflow
- Requires Python knowledge for customization
- Less beginner-friendly than some alternatives
- Fewer themes than WordPress or Hugo
- Limited built-in features compared to dynamic CMS
Hexo
Pros
- Blazing fast generation
- Markdown support
- One-command deployment
- Extensive plugin system
Cons
- Less active community than some alternatives
- Documentation can be incomplete
- Limited themes for non-technical blogs
- Some plugins aren't maintained
Features comparison
| Feature | Pelican | Hexo |
|---|---|---|
| Core Features | ||
| SEO | Partial Basic SEO through templates, but requires additional configuration for advanced features | Via plugin Available through hexo-seo plugin or custom configuration |
| Sitemap | Via plugin Available through pelican-sitemap plugin | Via plugin Available through hexo-generator-sitemap |
| RSS Feed | Yes Built-in Atom and RSS feed generation | Via plugin Available through hexo-generator-feed |
| Theming system | Yes Support for custom and third-party themes with Jinja2 templating | Yes Robust theming system with many available themes |
| Plugin system | Yes Extensive plugin system with Python-based plugins | Yes Extensive plugin ecosystem with many available plugins |
| Content Management | ||
| Emoji | Via plugin Requires Markdown extension or custom plugin | Via plugin Support through hexo-filter-github-emojis or similar plugins |
| Image optimization | Via plugin Available through pelican-image-process or similar plugins | Via plugin Available through hexo-filter-responsive-images or similar plugins |
| Taxonomies | Partial Built-in support for categories and tags, custom taxonomies require plugins | Partial Built-in support for categories and tags; custom taxonomies require additional configuration |
| Pagination | Yes Built-in pagination for article listings | Yes Built-in pagination for post listings |
| Table of contents | Via plugin Available through plugins or Markdown extensions | Yes Built-in table of contents generation |
| Comments | Via integration Integration with Disqus built-in, other systems require custom theme integration | Yes Built-in support for Disqus; other systems supported via themes |
| Integrations | ||
| Social media integration | Via plugin Requires plugins like pelican-social-share or custom theme integration | Via theme Most themes include social media integration options |
| Analytics | Via integration Can be added through theme templates or dedicated plugins | Via integration Most themes support analytics integration |
| Newsletter | Via integration Requires manual integration through theme templates | Via integration Can be added through theme customization |
| Search | Via plugin Options include tipue_search plugin or client-side search integration | Via plugin Options include hexo-generator-search or Algolia integration |
| Headless CMS integration | Limited Possible but not as seamless as with other generators; requires custom integration | Via plugin Integration possible with various headless CMS platforms |
| Advanced Features | ||
| Multilingual | Yes Built-in i18n support with the pelican-i18n_subsites plugin | Yes Built-in i18n support |
| AMP (Accelerated Mobile Pages) | Via plugin Would require custom plugin implementation | Via plugin Can be implemented with hexo-generator-amp |
| PWA (Progressive Web App) | Via integration Requires manual implementation in theme | Via plugin Available through hexo-pwa or similar solutions |
| Specialized Content | ||
| PlantUML | Via plugin Can be added via custom plugin or Markdown extension | Via plugin Can be added with hexo-filter-plantuml or similar plugins |
| Mermaid | Via plugin Through custom plugin or Markdown extension | Via plugin Available through hexo-filter-mermaid-diagrams or similar plugins |
| KaTeX (math) | Via plugin Math support through pelican-render-math or similar plugins | Via plugin Available through hexo-renderer-markdown-it-katex or similar plugins |
| GitHub Gists integration | Via plugin Can be integrated through custom plugins or theme modifications | Via plugin Can be implemented through custom tags or plugins |