Gridsome vs Pelican

Gridsome and Pelican are both static site generators, but they have some key differences. Gridsome is a modern Vue.js-based framework that allows for dynamic content fetching, while Pelican is a Python-based generator that focuses on simplicity and ease of use.

General information

Gridsome
Pelican
Introduction :
Gridsome is a modern website development framework for creating fast, secure, and dynamic websites using Vue.js. Launched in 2017, Gridsome is open-source and gaining popularity for its simplicity, performance, and flexibility. It allows developers to build static websites with dynamic capabilities, making it a popular choice for those looking to create high-performing websites with modern technologies.
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 :
  • Fast static site generation
  • GraphQL data layer for efficient data fetching
  • Extensive plugin ecosystem
  • SEO-friendly with built-in optimizations
  • Easy integration with headless CMS platforms
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 plugin ecosystem
  • Steeper learning curve compared to WordPress
  • Less community support and resources
  • Limited built-in features compared to Shopify
  • Less flexibility for complex website designs
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
Gridsome is used by thousands of websites, making it a popular choice for developers looking for a modern and efficient static site generator.
Website users : Thousands
Pelican is used by thousands of websites, making it a popular choice among content management systems for website creation and management.
๐ŸŸก Difficulty : Average.
Getting started with Gridsome may require some familiarity with Vue.js and GraphQL, but the documentation and community support can help navigate the learning curve.
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 : 2017
Gridsome was launched in 2017, making it a relatively new player in the CMS market compared to more established 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.
Official website : https://gridsome.org/
Official website : https://www.pelicanweb.org/


Commercial details

Gridsome
Pelican
๐ŸŸข Open source : Fully.
Gridsome is fully open source and written in JavaScript. The entire platform is available for modification and contribution by the community.
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.
Gridsome offers a free option with basic features, making it a cost-effective 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.
Gridsome offers a paid option for users looking for additional features and support, providing a more comprehensive experience.
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

Gridsome
Pelican
โšช Hosted : Unknown.
Gridsome does not offer a directly hosted option, but users may find third-party vendors providing hosting services for Gridsome sites.
๐ŸŸข Hosted : Yes.
Pelican offers a hosted option for users looking for a convenient and managed solution for their website hosting needs.
โšช Self host : Unknown.
Gridsome can be self-hosted, but details on self-hosting options are not clearly specified. Third-party vendors may offer hosting services.
๐ŸŸข Self host : Yes.
Pelican can be self-hosted on various 3rd party vendors, giving users more control over their hosting environment.
๐ŸŸก Headless CMS : Supported via plugin.
Gridsome is not inherently headless but can be used as a headless system with plugins and API integrations for decoupled architecture.
๐ŸŸก Headless CMS : Supported via plugin.
Pelican does not natively support headless features but can be integrated with plugins or APIs for headless functionality.
๐ŸŸข Static content generation : Support natively.
Gridsome natively supports static content generation, allowing for fast and efficient website performance without the need for additional plugins.
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

Gridsome
Pelican
๐ŸŸก Content management : Supported via plugin.
Gridsome offers content management capabilities through plugins, making it a good platform for managing content with additional customization options.
๐ŸŸข Content management : Support natively.
Pelican is a good platform for managing content as it offers native features specifically designed for content management tasks.
๐ŸŸก Blogging : Supported via plugin.
Gridsome can be enhanced for blogging with plugins like Gridsome Source Filesystem for markdown files, but it's not native to the platform.
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.
Gridsome is not specifically designed for e-commerce, lacking native e-commerce features. However, it can potentially be enhanced with third-party plugins/extensions.
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.
Gridsome does not have native support for community/forum features but can be enhanced with third-party plugins/extensions for this functionality.
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.
โšช Content subscription : Unknown.
Support for content subscriptions/paywalls is not a native feature of Gridsome and availability of third-party plugins/extensions is uncertain.
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

Gridsome
Pelican
๐ŸŸก Multi-site : Supported via plugin.
Gridsome does not support multi-site natively but can be achieved through the use of third-party plugins or 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.
Gridsome does not have native multi-language support but can be enhanced with plugins like @gridsome/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.
Gridsome does not support XML sitemaps natively but can be enhanced with popular third-party plugins/extensions for this functionality.
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 Gridsome and Pelican, consider your technical expertise and the complexity of your project. If you prefer a Vue.js-based framework with dynamic content capabilities, Gridsome may be the better choice. However, if you value simplicity and ease of use, Pelican could be the right fit for your static site generation needs.