head to head · open source
Typemill vs Zenblog
Typemill has 619 GitHub stars, 75 forks, 52 open issues and last shipped 13 days ago. Zenblog has 254 stars, 18 forks, 4 open issues and last shipped 2 months ago. Typemill leads on adoption by 144% (619 vs 254 stars). Typemill is written in JavaScript under MIT; Zenblog is written in TypeScript under AGPL-3.0. Typemill has attracted 12% as many forks as stars, Zenblog 7%. Typemill was the more recently maintained of the two, and both are self-hostable with no licence fee. The two share 1 topic tag (cms), so they are genuine substitutes rather than adjacent tools.
Two open source projects, one decision. Both are free and self-hostable — the differences are community size, license terms, language stack and release pace.
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Side by side
| Typemill | Zenblog | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 619 | ★ 254 |
| License | MIT | AGPL-3.0 |
| Written in | JavaScript | TypeScript |
| Last push | 2026-10-23 | 2026-09-01 |
| Forks | ⑂ 75 | ⑂ 18 |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick Typemill if
- You weight community size — 619 stars and counting
- You want the MIT license terms
- Your stack matches JavaScript
- You value the larger contributor base for long-term maintenance
pick Zenblog if
- You want the Zenblog feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the AGPL-3.0 license terms
- Your stack matches TypeScript
- You evaluated both and Zenblog fits your workflow better
About Typemill
Typemill Typemill is an open source flat file CMS for creating websites and eBooks with markdown files. It’s commonly used for informational websites such as user manuals, documentation, knowledge bases, wikis, and handbooks. Learn more at typemill.net, check the demo installation, or get started with the starter guide. Key Features Flat file – no database required. Modern stack – built with Slim PHP, Vue.js, and Tailwind CSS. Lightweight – only 2MB when gzipped. Author friendly – visual block editor and raw markdown editor. Developer friendly – Twig templates, Symfony event dispatcher, YAML definitions…
read the full Typemill overview →
About Zenblog
Zenblog Simple, fast, headless blogging CMS Website » Twitter 🏗️ Current Status Zenblog is currently under heavy development. The initial public release is expected in 2024 About Zenblog is an open source, headless CMS for blogging. It's designed to be as simple to integrate as possible, while still providing a great user experience for both writers, readers and developers. Features As many blogs as you want Collaboration 🤼 Fetch content from your website easily with the SDK Image hosting Analytics RSS feeds Webhooks API Self hosting Custom themes Custom domains Easily fetch content from your website And more!…
read the full Zenblog overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is Typemill or Zenblog more popular?
Typemill has 619 GitHub stars and Zenblog has 254. Typemill has the larger community by that measure.
Are Typemill and Zenblog free?
Both are open source. Typemill is licensed under MIT and Zenblog under AGPL-3.0. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between Typemill and Zenblog?
Typemill is written in JavaScript and Zenblog in TypeScript. The practical differences are community size, licence terms, language stack and release cadence — all compared in the table above.
Which should I choose, Typemill or Zenblog?
Choose Typemill if you want the larger community (619 stars) or its MIT licence terms. Choose Zenblog if its feature set, stack or AGPL-3.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.