In an era of homogeneous abundance, I still cannot clearly identify the various types of software that are worth entrusting. For me, giving up is a difficult problem.
Starting from blog posts, I started building websites in 2017,
wordpress→typecho→hexo→gridea→inis→notion next→flowus→halo→WordPress→gridea web
The blog frameworks I have used include all mainstream blog frameworks on the market, each with its own strengths, but none have lasted for a long time. But it seems that I have forgotten the act of recording itself.
Apart from basic functions such as writing articles and adding pages
Let's make a comparison
1. Xlog#
This is a writing platform on the blockchain, as secure as it can be. It uses its own wallet for login and exists in the form of NFT, which can only be controlled by you who hold the private key. But it is traceable! It can find traces of history, which is too transparent, but isn't this a good thing compared to something else? Overall, it is already a highly integrated platform.
Advantages:
- Relatively complete and rich customization
- Integrated "shuoshuo" (a feature similar to microblogging)
- Perfect export solution using Crossbell.io, exporting articles and images in a non-link format
- Uploaded images can be automatically converted to webp format (this is great)
- Supports LaTeX!!!
- Has a relatively good community
Disadvantages:
- Requires an Ethereum wallet to operate, making it difficult to edit and publish on different devices.
- On-chain operations are transparent and irreversible, which means users cannot truly delete an article. The modification history of an article can be seen through the blockchain, which is too transparent.
- Can export data through Crossbell.io, but it seems that importing data from Crossbell.io is not supported.
- In China, the xlog.app domain sometimes has issues. The dashboard cannot be accessed, and occasionally scientific methods are needed to publish articles. The speed of accessing the homepage with a custom domain is not fast enough, but it is already quite good.
- Not enough themes. The built-in themes are indeed quite nice, but I prefer something more minimalist.
- There is a mobile and tablet version, but it seems not very mature and needs improvement.
Author introduction: The first open-source blockchain blog system xLog - DIYgod
2. WordPress#
This platform is well known, so I will only mention my opinions on its pros and cons:
Advantages:
- Rich theme community and plugin marketplace
- Can use the official jet pack of WordPress
- Supports LaTeX, just install a plugin
- Some themes support "shuoshuo", such as iemo, pix, etc.
Disadvantages:
- The overall framework is too bloated
- Not very friendly towards Markdown support
- Slow backend
3. Gridea#
This is a writing framework created by Haidaoxinhey. It uses Vercel's edge network and Supabase's data storage. The interface is super clean, and I quite like it.
Advantages:
- Simple, very simple
- Acceptable price of 79¥, 10$
- Same problem as Xlog, occasionally unable to access the dashboard
Disadvantages:
- Does not support LaTeX (this is the only reason I gave up on it)
- Not fast enough in terms of access speed, slow image loading
- Can post "shuoshuo" (thoughts), but the layout is difficult to accept. Adding an image to a "shuoshuo" makes it extremely large, which is unbearable.
4. Notion#
This platform has extremely powerful extension capabilities, and its API is simply invincible. Currently, I have used Notion Next to build, and Notion's database is a very good dashboard, simple and clear, without too many fancy things.
Advantages:
- Supports styles beyond Markdown
- Notion Next comes with a rich set of themes
- Can insert music, videos, and LaTeX, all perfectly compatible
Disadvantages:
- Cloud-based, and the function to export data relies on the defense
- Notion's speed in China is getting worse and worse. It takes tens of seconds just to open it. Sigh
Halo#
This is a Java-based writing platform, full of novelty and smooth performance. Compared to other PHP platforms, it is very convenient, but it also has its shortcomings.
Advantages:
- Very convenient backup, import, and export are done very well. Unlike WP and Typecho, there is no need to back up the database, making it easy to move.
- The backend is clean and very good.
- Supports LaTeX, but rendering requires a second refresh, which I don't like.
Disadvantages:
- There are still too few themes, and not many are free.
Let's summarize the writing process:
Diary: Tianyue Diary (cross-platform) → Publish on WordPress → Backup on Xlog
Image hosting: Xiaobai Image Hosting, upic, picgo