ButterCMS vs Pelican
Please select two different options.
ButterCMS and Pelican are both content management systems, but they cater to different needs. ButterCMS is a fully managed headless CMS that offers a user-friendly interface and robust features, while Pelican is a static site generator that is more developer-focused and allows for greater customization.
General information
ButterCMS
Pelican
Introduction :
ButterCMS is a headless content management system that was launched in 2014. It offers a user-friendly interface and robust API for developers to easily integrate content into their websites and applications. ButterCMS is not open source but is popular for its simplicity and flexibility, making it a preferred choice for businesses looking to streamline their content management processes.
ButterCMS is a headless content management system that was launched in 2014. It offers a user-friendly interface and robust API for developers to easily integrate content into their websites and applications. ButterCMS is not open source but is popular for its simplicity and flexibility, making it a preferred choice for businesses looking to streamline their content management processes.
Introduction :
Pelican is a static site generator that is open source and was first released in 2010. It is popular for its simplicity, speed, and flexibility, making it a preferred choice for developers who want to create fast and secure websites. Pelican allows users to write content in Markdown or reStructuredText and offers a range of plugins and themes for customization.
Pelican is a static site generator that is open source and was first released in 2010. It is popular for its simplicity, speed, and flexibility, making it a preferred choice for developers who want to create fast and secure websites. Pelican allows users to write content in Markdown or reStructuredText and offers a range of plugins and themes for customization.
Advantages :
- Easy to use and navigate interface
- Seamless integration with existing websites
- Robust API for customization and flexibility
- Fast content delivery with CDN
- Scalable for growing businesses
Advantages :
- Easy to use and beginner-friendly interface
- Fast loading times for websites
- Strong security features to protect content
- Customizable themes and plugins for flexibility
- Good for small to medium-sized websites
Disadvantages :
- Limited customization options
- Steeper learning curve compared to some platforms
- Higher cost for advanced features
- Limited third-party integrations
- Not as widely supported as other platforms
Disadvantages :
- Limited customization options
- Steeper learning curve compared to others
- Lack of built-in SEO features
- Limited plugin and theme options
- Less user-friendly interface compared to competitors
Website users : Thousands of websites
ButterCMS is used by a significant number of websites, making it a popular choice among content management systems.
ButterCMS is used by a significant number of websites, making it a popular choice among content management systems.
Website users : Thousands
Pelican is used by thousands of websites, making it a popular choice among content management systems for website creation and management.
Pelican is used by thousands of websites, making it a popular choice among content management systems for website creation and management.
🟢 Difficulty : Easy.
ButterCMS offers a user-friendly interface and comprehensive documentation, making it easy for users to get started without needing advanced technical skills.
ButterCMS offers a user-friendly interface and comprehensive documentation, making it easy for users to get started without needing advanced technical skills.
🟡 Difficulty : Average.
Getting started with Pelican requires some technical knowledge and familiarity with static site generators, but resources are available for support.
Getting started with Pelican requires some technical knowledge and familiarity with static site generators, but resources are available for support.
Year launched : 2014
ButterCMS was launched in 2014, positioning it as a relatively newer option compared to more established CMS platforms.
ButterCMS was launched in 2014, positioning it as a relatively newer option compared to more established CMS platforms.
Year launched : 2002
Pelican was launched in 2002, making it one of the earlier content management systems available for users to create and manage websites.
Pelican was launched in 2002, making it one of the earlier content management systems available for users to create and manage websites.
Official website :
https://buttercms.com/
Official website :
https://www.pelicanweb.org/
Commercial details
ButterCMS
Pelican
🟡 Open source : Partially.
ButterCMS is not fully open source, but offers some level of customization and flexibility for developers to work with.
ButterCMS is not fully open source, but offers some level of customization and flexibility for developers to work with.
🟡 Open source : Partially.
Pelican is partially open source, with the core codebase being fully open source, but some plugins and themes may have different licenses.
Pelican is partially open source, with the core codebase being fully open source, but some plugins and themes may have different licenses.
🟢 Free option : Yes.
ButterCMS offers a free option with limited features, making it a good choice for those on a budget or looking to test the platform.
ButterCMS offers a free option with limited features, making it a good choice for those on a budget or looking to test the platform.
🟢 Free option : Yes.
Pelican offers a free self-hosted option with no limitations on features, making it a cost-effective choice for users looking to manage their own content.
Pelican offers a free self-hosted option with no limitations on features, making it a cost-effective choice for users looking to manage their own content.
🟢 Paid option : Yes.
ButterCMS offers a paid option for users looking for additional features and support beyond the free plan.
ButterCMS offers a paid option for users looking for additional features and support beyond the free plan.
🟢 Paid option : Yes.
Pelican offers a paid option for users looking for additional features and support, providing a more comprehensive experience for those willing to invest.
Pelican offers a paid option for users looking for additional features and support, providing a more comprehensive experience for those willing to invest.
Platform details
ButterCMS
Pelican
⚪ Hosted : Unknown.
ButterCMS offers various pricing plans, but it is unclear if there is a fully hosted option available directly from ButterCMS.
ButterCMS offers various pricing plans, but it is unclear if there is a fully hosted option available directly from ButterCMS.
🟢 Hosted : Yes.
Pelican offers a hosted option for users looking for a convenient and managed solution for their website hosting needs.
Pelican offers a hosted option for users looking for a convenient and managed solution for their website hosting needs.
⚪ Self host : Unknown.
ButterCMS does not offer a self-hosting option, but there may be third-party vendors available for hosting services.
ButterCMS does not offer a self-hosting option, but there may be third-party vendors available for hosting services.
🟢 Self host : Yes.
Pelican can be self-hosted on various 3rd party vendors, giving users more control over their hosting environment.
Pelican can be self-hosted on various 3rd party vendors, giving users more control over their hosting environment.
🟡 Headless CMS : Supported via plugin.
ButterCMS supports headless features via its API, allowing for decoupled front-end development while still utilizing its content management capabilities.
ButterCMS supports headless features via its API, allowing for decoupled front-end development while still utilizing its content management capabilities.
🟡 Headless CMS : Supported via plugin.
Pelican does not natively support headless features but can be integrated with plugins or APIs for headless functionality.
Pelican does not natively support headless features but can be integrated with plugins or APIs for headless functionality.
🟡 Static content generation : Supported via plugin.
ButterCMS does not natively support static content generation but can be achieved perhaps via a popular plugin.
ButterCMS does not natively support static content generation but can be achieved perhaps via a popular plugin.
🟢 Static content generation : Support natively.
Pelican natively supports static content generation, making it efficient and reliable for creating static websites without the need for additional plugins.
Pelican natively supports static content generation, making it efficient and reliable for creating static websites without the need for additional plugins.
Key features
ButterCMS
Pelican
🟡 Content management : Supported via plugin.
ButterCMS is a good platform for managing content with its easy-to-use plugin integration, but it may require additional setup compared to native solutions.
ButterCMS is a good platform for managing content with its easy-to-use plugin integration, but it may require additional setup compared to native solutions.
🟢 Content management : Support natively.
Pelican is a good platform for managing content as it offers native features specifically designed for content management tasks.
Pelican is a good platform for managing content as it offers native features specifically designed for content management tasks.
🟡 Blogging : Supported via plugin.
ButterCMS is primarily a headless CMS with a focus on content delivery. Blogging functionality can be enhanced through plugins.
ButterCMS is primarily a headless CMS with a focus on content delivery. Blogging functionality can be enhanced through plugins.
🟡 Blogging : Supported via plugin.
Pelican can be enhanced by third-party plugins for blogging functionality, offering flexibility and customization options for bloggers.
Pelican can be enhanced by third-party plugins for blogging functionality, offering flexibility and customization options for bloggers.
🔴 E-commerce : Not supported.
ButterCMS is not specifically designed for e-commerce functionality, lacking native features for online stores. It may require third-party plugins for such capabilities.
ButterCMS is not specifically designed for e-commerce functionality, lacking native features for online stores. It may require third-party plugins for such capabilities.
🟡 E-commerce : Supported via plugin.
Pelican can be used for e-commerce with plugins like Pelican-Commerce, but it may require additional setup compared to dedicated e-commerce platforms.
Pelican can be used for e-commerce with plugins like Pelican-Commerce, but it may require additional setup compared to dedicated e-commerce platforms.
🔴 Community forum : Not supported.
ButterCMS does not have native support for community/forum features. It may require integration with third-party plugins/extensions for this functionality.
ButterCMS does not have native support for community/forum features. It may require integration with third-party plugins/extensions for this functionality.
🟡 Community forum : Supported via plugin.
Pelican can support a community/forum with plugins like Disqus, but lacks native features for robust community engagement compared to other platforms.
Pelican can support a community/forum with plugins like Disqus, but lacks native features for robust community engagement compared to other platforms.
🟡 Content subscription : Supported via plugin.
Supports content subscriptions/paywalls through third-party plugins, offering flexibility and customization options for monetizing content.
Supports content subscriptions/paywalls through third-party plugins, offering flexibility and customization options for monetizing content.
🟡 Content subscription : Supported via plugin.
Pelican does not natively support content subscriptions/paywalls but can be enhanced with third-party plugins for this functionality.
Pelican does not natively support content subscriptions/paywalls but can be enhanced with third-party plugins for this functionality.
Other features
ButterCMS
Pelican
🟡 Multi-site : Supported via plugin.
ButterCMS does not support multi-site natively but can be enhanced with third-party plugins/extensions for multi-site functionality.
ButterCMS does not support multi-site natively but can be enhanced with third-party plugins/extensions for multi-site functionality.
🟡 Multi-site : Supported via plugin.
Support for multi-site in Pelican is typically achieved through third-party plugins, offering enhanced functionality for managing multiple sites within the platform.
Support for multi-site in Pelican is typically achieved through third-party plugins, offering enhanced functionality for managing multiple sites within the platform.
🟡 Multi-language : Supported via plugin.
ButterCMS does not natively support multi-language but can be enhanced with third-party plugins for multi-language functionality.
ButterCMS does not natively support multi-language but can be enhanced with third-party plugins for multi-language functionality.
🟡 Multi-language : Supported via plugin.
Pelican does not natively support multi-language but can be enhanced with plugins like Pelican-i18n for multi-language functionality.
Pelican does not natively support multi-language but can be enhanced with plugins like Pelican-i18n for multi-language functionality.
🟡 XML Sitemaps : Supported via plugin.
ButterCMS does not support XML sitemaps natively but can be implemented using popular third-party plugins or extensions.
ButterCMS does not support XML sitemaps natively but can be implemented using popular third-party plugins or extensions.
🟡 XML Sitemaps : Supported via plugin.
Support for XML sitemaps can be enhanced by popular third-party plugins/extensions in the Pelican ecosystem.
Support for XML sitemaps can be enhanced by popular third-party plugins/extensions in the Pelican ecosystem.
When choosing between ButterCMS and Pelican, consider your level of technical expertise and the specific requirements of your project. If you value ease of use and a comprehensive feature set, ButterCMS may be the better option. On the other hand, if you prefer flexibility and control over your site’s design and functionality, Pelican could be the ideal choice.