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getpelican/pelican

Python static site generator that builds websites from Markdown, reStructuredText, and HTML source files without databases.

Open-source alternative to:WordPress

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Last commit
25 days ago

What is it?

Pelican is a static site generator written in Python. You write content as text files in Markdown, reStructuredText, or HTML, and a command-line tool turns them into HTML, CSS, and JavaScript that can be served from any web server or static hosting service.

It is aimed at blogs and content sites that do not need a database or server-side code. Articles and static pages are handled as separate content types, and sites can be built in multiple languages. Output includes Atom and RSS feeds, and code blocks are highlighted through Pygments.

The project supports importing existing content from WordPress, Dotclear, and RSS feeds, uses Jinja2 templates for themes, and offers a plugin ecosystem. Rebuilds are sped up by content caching and by writing only the output that changed.

Key features

  • 01Write content in Markdown or reStructuredText
  • 02Generate Atom and RSS feeds
  • 03Multilingual article publishing
  • 04Jinja2-based themes
  • 05Import content from WordPress, Dotclear, or RSS
  • 06Plugin ecosystem for extensions

Use cases

  • Building a personal blog without a database
  • Publishing a multilingual documentation or content site
  • Migrating an existing WordPress blog to static hosting

Things to know

  • Licensed under AGPL-3.0, a copyleft license that may restrict how you can use or distribute derived code.

In collections

Static site generators & documentation tools

Topics

#static-site-generator#markdown#blog#python#jinja2#restructuredtext#pelican

FAQ

What is pelican?
Python static site generator that builds websites from Markdown, reStructuredText, and HTML source files without databases. Pelican is a static site generator written in Python. You write content as text files in Markdown, reStructuredText, or HTML, and a command-line tool turns them into HTML, CSS, and JavaScript that can be served from any web server or static hosting service.
Is pelican free to use? What license does it have?
pelican is open source under the AGPL-3.0 license. Check the license terms before using it in commercial products.
Is pelican still maintained?
Actively maintained. The last commit to pelican was on Oct 13, 2026.
What can I use pelican for?
Building a personal blog without a database Publishing a multilingual documentation or content site Migrating an existing WordPress blog to static hosting
Where can I get pelican?
The source code and installation instructions are on GitHub: https://github.com/getpelican/pelican

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