Pelican vs Volusion

Pelican and Volusion are both popular platforms for creating and managing online stores. Pelican is a static site generator that offers simplicity and speed, while Volusion is an all-in-one e-commerce solution with a range of features for selling products online.

General information

Pelican
Volusion
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 :
Volusion is a popular e-commerce platform that was launched in 1999. It is not open source, but it is known for its user-friendly interface and robust features for online stores. Volusion is favored for its scalability and customization options, making it a top choice for businesses of all sizes looking to establish a strong online presence. With a wide range of templates and integrations available, Volusion offers a comprehensive solution for e-commerce needs.
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 for beginners
  • Wide range of design templates available
  • Excellent customer support
  • Built-in SEO features
  • Scalable for growing businesses
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 design flexibility
  • Steeper learning curve for beginners
  • Higher monthly fees compared to some competitors
  • Limited third-party integrations
  • Lack of built-in blogging capabilities
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 : Tens of thousands of websites
Volusion is a popular e-commerce platform used by a significant number of online stores for their website operations.
๐ŸŸก Difficulty : Average.
Getting started with Pelican requires some technical knowledge and familiarity with static site generators, but resources are available for support.
๐ŸŸก Difficulty : Average.
Getting started with Volusion may require some technical knowledge, but their user-friendly interface helps streamline the process for beginners.
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 : 1999
Volusion was launched in 1999, making it one of the earlier e-commerce platforms available for businesses to create online stores.
Official website : https://www.pelicanweb.org/
Official website : https://www.volusion.com/


Commercial details

Pelican
Volusion
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.
๐Ÿ”ด Open source : No.
Volusion is not open source. The platform does not provide access to its source code for customization or modification.
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.
Volusion offers a free 14-day trial, but there is no permanent free option. Limited features available in the trial period.
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.
Volusion offers a paid option with additional features and support compared to its free plan, providing more flexibility and customization for users.


Platform details

Pelican
Volusion
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.
Volusion offers a hosted option for users, providing a convenient and hassle-free solution for setting up an online store.
๐ŸŸข Self host : Yes.
Pelican can be self-hosted on various 3rd party vendors, giving users more control over their hosting environment.
โšช Self host : Unknown.
Volusion does not offer a self-hosting option, but there may be third-party vendors available for hosting services.
๐ŸŸก Headless CMS : Supported via plugin.
Pelican does not natively support headless features but can be integrated with plugins or APIs for headless functionality.
โšช Headless CMS : Unknown.
Volusion may have headless features via an API, but specific information on headless support is not readily available.
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.
Volusion does not natively support static content generation but can potentially be achieved via a popular plugin.


Key features

Pelican
Volusion
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.
Volusion offers basic content management capabilities but may require additional plugins for more advanced features 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 Blogging : Not supported.
Volusion is not a preferred platform for blogging compared to other options like WordPress or Shopify, which offer more robust blogging features.
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.
Volusion offers e-commerce functionality but may require additional plugins for advanced features compared to other platforms.
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.
Volusion does not have native forum functionality but can be enhanced by third-party plugins for community building and forum features.
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.
Volusion does not natively support content subscriptions/paywalls but can be enhanced by popular third-party plugins/extensions for this functionality.


Other features

Pelican
Volusion
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.
Volusion does not support multi-site natively but can be enhanced by third-party plugins/extensions for multi-site 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 Multi-language : Supported via plugin.
Supports multi-language via popular third-party plugins or extensions, enhancing its capabilities for catering to diverse language needs.
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.
Supports XML sitemaps through popular third-party plugins, enhancing SEO capabilities for better search engine visibility.


When choosing between Pelican and Volusion, consider your specific needs and technical expertise. Pelican is great for those who prefer a lightweight and customizable solution, while Volusion may be more suitable for businesses looking for a comprehensive e-commerce platform with built-in features. Ultimately, the right choice depends on your priorities and goals for your online store.