Pelican vs Plone

Pelican and Plone are both content management systems, but they cater to different needs. Pelican is a static site generator that is simple and lightweight, ideal for small websites and blogs. On the other hand, Plone is a robust and feature-rich CMS designed for larger, more complex websites and intranets.

General information

Pelican
Plone
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.
Introduction :
Plone is an open-source content management system that was launched in 2001. It is known for its security, scalability, and flexibility, making it a popular choice for large organizations and government agencies. Plone's user-friendly interface and robust features, such as version control and workflow management, have contributed to its popularity among users looking for a reliable and customizable CMS solution.
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
Advantages :
  • Highly customizable and flexible design options
  • Strong security features to protect content
  • Easy integration with third-party applications
  • Scalable for growing websites and businesses
  • Active community for support and updates
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
Disadvantages :
  • Steeper learning curve for beginners
  • Limited number of available plugins
  • Not as widely supported as other platforms
  • Customization options can be overwhelming
  • Requires more technical expertise to maintain
Website users : Thousands
Pelican is used by thousands of websites, making it a popular choice among content management systems for website creation and management.
Website users : Approximately 0.1% of websites
Plone is used by a small percentage of websites compared to other popular platforms like WordPress and Shopify.
๐ŸŸก Difficulty : Average.
Getting started with Pelican requires some technical knowledge and familiarity with static site generators, but resources are available for support.
๐Ÿ”ด Difficulty : Hard.
Plone has a steep learning curve and requires technical skills to get started, making it more challenging compared to other 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.
Year launched : 2001
Plone was launched in 2001, making it one of the earlier content management systems available for users to create websites.
Official website : https://www.pelicanweb.org/
Official website : https://plone.org/


Commercial details

Pelican
Plone
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 Open source : Fully.
Plone is fully open source, written in Python. The platform allows for complete customization and contribution from the community.
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 Free option : Yes.
Plone offers a free, open-source option with no licensing fees. It provides robust features and customization capabilities for users.
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.
โšช Paid option : Unknown.
Plone offers various services and support options, but specific details about a paid option are unclear. Further research is needed for comparison.


Platform details

Pelican
Plone
๐ŸŸข Hosted : Yes.
Pelican offers a hosted option for users looking for a convenient and managed solution for their website hosting needs.
โšช Hosted : Unknown.
There may be hosted options available for Plone, but specific details on pricing and providers are unclear.
๐ŸŸข Self host : Yes.
Pelican can be self-hosted on various 3rd party vendors, giving users more control over their hosting environment.
๐ŸŸข Self host : Yes.
Plone can be self-hosted on various 3rd party vendors, giving users flexibility and control over their hosting environment.
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 Headless CMS : Supported via plugin.
Plone does not natively support headless functionality but can be achieved through the use of plugins or APIs.
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.
๐ŸŸก Static content generation : Supported via plugin.
Static content generation is possible in Plone through the use of popular plugins, offering flexibility and customization options.


Key features

Pelican
Plone
๐ŸŸข Content management : Support natively.
Pelican is a good platform for managing content as it offers native features specifically designed for content management tasks.
๐ŸŸข Content management : Support natively.
Plone excels in content management with its robust native features, making it a top choice for efficiently organizing and maintaining content.
๐ŸŸก Blogging : Supported via plugin.
Pelican can be enhanced by third-party plugins for blogging functionality, offering flexibility and customization options for bloggers.
๐ŸŸก Blogging : Supported via plugin.
Plone can be used for blogging with the help of third-party plugins, offering flexibility and customization options for bloggers.
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 E-commerce : Supported via plugin.
Plone can be used for e-commerce with the help of third-party plugins/extensions, offering a range of features for online stores.
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 Community forum : Supported via plugin.
Plone can support community/forum features through add-ons like Ploneboard, but may require additional setup compared to platforms with native support.
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.
๐ŸŸก Content subscription : Supported via plugin.
Content subscriptions and paywalls can be implemented in Plone through various third-party plugins/extensions for enhanced functionality.


Other features

Pelican
Plone
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-site : Supported via plugin.
Multi-site functionality in Plone is typically achieved through the use of third-party add-ons or plugins, offering flexibility and customization options.
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.
๐ŸŸข Multi-language : Support natively.
Plone natively supports multi-language capabilities, allowing for easy management of content in multiple languages without the need for additional plugins.
๐ŸŸก XML Sitemaps : Supported via plugin.
Support for XML sitemaps can be enhanced by popular third-party plugins/extensions in the Pelican ecosystem.
๐ŸŸก XML Sitemaps : Supported via plugin.
Plone does not natively support XML sitemaps but can be enhanced by popular third-party plugins/extensions for this functionality.


When choosing between Pelican and Plone, consider the size and complexity of your project. If you need a quick and easy solution for a small website, Pelican is a great choice. However, if you require advanced features and scalability for a larger project, Plone would be the better option. Ultimately, the right choice depends on your specific requirements and goals.