Gatsby vs Pelican

Gatsby and Pelican are both static site generators used for building websites. Gatsby is known for its modern development stack and React-based architecture, while Pelican is a simple and lightweight generator written in Python.

General information

Gatsby
Pelican
Introduction :
Gatsby is a modern website framework that uses React to build blazing fast websites. Launched in 2015, it has gained popularity for its ability to create high-performance websites with a great user experience. Gatsby is open source and has a strong community of developers contributing to its growth. Its popularity stems from its speed, SEO benefits, and ease of use for developers looking to build static websites or dynamic web applications.
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.
Advantages :
  • Easy to use and navigate interface
  • Strong community support and resources
  • Fast loading times and performance
  • Customizable design and templates
  • Integrated SEO tools for better visibility
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 for beginners
  • Higher cost compared to some competitors
  • Limited built-in SEO features
  • Lack of built-in customer support options
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 : 30%
Gatsby is used by approximately 30% of websites compared to other platforms in the market.
Website users : Thousands
Pelican is used by thousands of websites, making it a popular choice among content management systems for website creation and management.
๐Ÿ”ด Difficulty : Hard.
Gatsby can be difficult to get started with due to its complex setup and configuration requirements, requiring a good understanding of React and GraphQL.
๐ŸŸก Difficulty : Average.
Getting started with Pelican requires some technical knowledge and familiarity with static site generators, but resources are available for support.
Year launched : 2015
Gatsby was launched in 2015, positioning it as a relatively newer platform compared to others in the content management system market.
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.
Official website : https://www.gatsbyjs.com/
Official website : https://www.pelicanweb.org/


Commercial details

Gatsby
Pelican
๐ŸŸก Open source : Partially.
Gatsby is partially open source, with the core framework and many plugins being open source, but some features may require a commercial license.
๐ŸŸก 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.
๐ŸŸข Free option : Yes.
Gatsby offers a free option with limited features, making it a good choice for those on a budget or looking to test the platform.
๐ŸŸข 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.
๐ŸŸข Paid option : Yes.
Gatsby offers a paid option for users looking for additional features and support, providing a comprehensive solution for those willing to invest.
๐ŸŸข 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.


Platform details

Gatsby
Pelican
๐ŸŸข Hosted : Yes.
Gatsby offers a hosted option through third-party vendors, providing users with the convenience of managed hosting services for their websites.
๐ŸŸข Hosted : Yes.
Pelican offers a hosted option for users looking for a convenient and managed solution for their website hosting needs.
๐ŸŸข Self host : Yes.
Self-hosting is possible with Gatsby through various third-party vendors, giving users flexibility and control over their hosting environment.
๐ŸŸข Self host : Yes.
Pelican can be self-hosted on various 3rd party vendors, giving users more control over their hosting environment.
โšช Headless CMS : Unknown.
Gatsby is primarily a static site generator, but it can be used as a headless CMS with the help of APIs and integrations.
๐ŸŸก Headless CMS : Supported via plugin.
Pelican does not natively support headless features but can be integrated with plugins or APIs for headless functionality.
๐ŸŸก Static content generation : Supported via plugin.
Static content generation is possible in Gatsby through plugins like gatsby-plugin-react-helmet for SEO optimization and gatsby-plugin-offline for offline support.
๐ŸŸข 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.


Key features

Gatsby
Pelican
๐ŸŸก Content management : Supported via plugin.
Gatsby is primarily a static site generator, so content management capabilities are achieved through plugins rather than native features.
๐ŸŸข Content management : Support natively.
Pelican is a good platform for managing content as it offers native features specifically designed for content management tasks.
๐Ÿ”ด Blogging : Not supported.
Gatsby is not specifically designed for blogging, lacking native features for managing and publishing blog content compared to other platforms.
๐ŸŸก Blogging : Supported via plugin.
Pelican can be enhanced by third-party plugins for blogging functionality, offering flexibility and customization options for bloggers.
๐Ÿ”ด E-commerce : Not supported.
Gatsby is not specifically designed for e-commerce but can be enhanced with plugins/extensions for limited functionality. Consider other platforms for robust e-commerce capabilities.
๐ŸŸก 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.
๐ŸŸก Community forum : Supported via plugin.
Gatsby can be used for a community/forum with the help of third-party plugins/extensions, offering flexibility and customization options.
๐ŸŸก 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.
๐ŸŸก Content subscription : Supported via plugin.
Content subscriptions/paywalls can be supported through various third-party plugins/extensions on Gatsby, enhancing its functionality for monetizing content.
๐ŸŸก Content subscription : Supported via plugin.
Pelican does not natively support content subscriptions/paywalls but can be enhanced with third-party plugins for this functionality.


Other features

Gatsby
Pelican
๐ŸŸก Multi-site : Supported via plugin.
Multi-site functionality is not supported natively in Gatsby, but can be achieved through the use of third-party plugins/extensions.
๐ŸŸก 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.
๐ŸŸก Multi-language : Supported via plugin.
Gatsby does not support multi-language natively but can be enhanced by popular plugins like gatsby-plugin-i18n for multi-language functionality.
๐ŸŸก 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.
๐ŸŸก XML Sitemaps : Supported via plugin.
Support for XML sitemaps in Gatsby is typically achieved through popular third-party plugins or extensions.
๐ŸŸก XML Sitemaps : Supported via plugin.
Support for XML sitemaps can be enhanced by popular third-party plugins/extensions in the Pelican ecosystem.


When choosing between Gatsby and Pelican, consider your familiarity with React and Python. Gatsby offers a more modern and flexible approach, ideal for complex websites, while Pelican is straightforward and efficient for simpler projects. Ultimately, the choice depends on your specific needs and technical expertise.