Pelican vs Sanity

Pelican is a static site generator that offers simplicity and speed, while Sanity is a headless CMS with a focus on flexibility and collaboration. Pelican is ideal for small websites and blogs, while Sanity is better suited for larger, more complex projects.

General information

Pelican
Sanity
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 :
Sanity is a headless content management system that was launched in 2017. It is known for its flexibility, scalability, and user-friendly interface. Sanity is an open-source platform that has gained popularity among developers and content creators for its customizable content models, real-time collaboration features, and seamless integrations with other tools and services. Its modern approach to content management makes it a preferred choice for projects requiring dynamic and interactive content.
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 :
  • Easy to use interface for beginners
  • Wide range of customizable themes available
  • Strong community support for troubleshooting
  • Regular updates and improvements for security
  • Integration with various third-party tools and plugins
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 :
  • Limited customization options
  • Steep learning curve for beginners
  • Lack of built-in features compared to others
  • Limited support and community resources
  • Not ideal for complex or large websites
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 35% of websites
A significant portion of websites utilize this platform, making it a popular choice among content management systems.
๐ŸŸก Difficulty : Average.
Getting started with Pelican requires some technical knowledge and familiarity with static site generators, but resources are available for support.
๐ŸŸข Difficulty : Easy.
Sanity offers a user-friendly interface and comprehensive documentation, making it easy for beginners to get started without the need for advanced technical skills.
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 : 2015
Sanity was launched in 2015, positioning it as a relatively newer platform compared to others in the content management system market.
Official website : https://www.pelicanweb.org/
Official website : https://www.sanity.io/


Commercial details

Pelican
Sanity
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.
๐ŸŸก Open source : Partially.
Sanity is partially open source, with the core platform being open but some features and plugins being proprietary.
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.
Sanity offers a free option with limited features, suitable for small projects or personal use. It is a hosted platform.
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.
๐ŸŸข Paid option : Yes.
Sanity offers a paid option for additional features and support, providing users with more customization and assistance for their content management needs.


Platform details

Pelican
Sanity
๐ŸŸข Hosted : Yes.
Pelican offers a hosted option for users looking for a convenient and managed solution for their website hosting needs.
๐ŸŸข Hosted : Yes.
Sanity offers a hosted option for users, providing convenience and ease of use without the need for self-hosting.
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.
Self-hosting option available through third-party vendors, offering flexibility and control over server environment and data management.
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.
Sanity does not natively support headless features but can be integrated with headless capabilities through plugins and 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 Sanity through the use of plugins, offering flexibility and customization options.


Key features

Pelican
Sanity
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 Content management : Supported via plugin.
Sanity offers robust content management capabilities through plugins, but may require additional customization for comprehensive content management needs.
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.
Sanity 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.
Sanity can be used for e-commerce with the help of third-party plugins, offering flexibility and customization options 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.
Sanity can be used for community forums with the help of third-party plugins, offering decent functionality but not as robust as native forum platforms.
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.
Supports content subscriptions and paywalls through third-party plugins, offering flexibility and customization options for monetizing content.


Other features

Pelican
Sanity
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.
Supports multi-site via popular third-party plugins, offering flexibility and scalability for managing multiple sites efficiently.
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 Multi-language : Supported via plugin.
Sanity does not support multi-language natively but can be enhanced with popular plugins/extensions for multi-language capabilities.
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.
Support for XML sitemaps can be added through popular third-party plugins or extensions, enhancing the platform's functionality.


When choosing between Pelican and Sanity, consider the size and complexity of your project. If you need a simple and fast solution for a small website or blog, Pelican is a great choice. However, if you require more flexibility and collaboration features for a larger project, Sanity would be the better option. Ultimately, the right choice depends on your specific needs and goals.