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Plerd

by Plerd

Free plan Self-hosted

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What Plerd is

Plerd is a free, open-source, self-hosted blogging platform from a New York-based maker who founded it in 2014. It turns Markdown files in one folder into a static website, with a daemon watching for changes and updating published files. Generated output includes post pages, a recent-posts front page, an archive, a tags page, and Atom and JSON Feed documents. Posts use GitHub-Flavored Markdown, including CommonMark, tables, strikethrough, and task lists. Template Toolkit renders customizable templates, allowing code-based page changes. Plerd describes syncing workflows with Dropbox or rclone and supports IndieWeb technologies such as microformats and Webmention. In basic mode it creates static HTML and XML files but does not provide a web server, so another server must serve the output directory. Installation requires Perl 5.26 or later and cpanm. Because it is intended for one user, HTML in source posts passes into published output without filtering. The project targets blogs, podcasts, and similar time-ordered sites with feeds.

Who it suits

Plerd suits Markdown-focused users who want a narrow, self-hosted publishing tool for one chronological stream of posts. It is appropriate for blogs, podcasts, or similar feed-based sites.

What it does well

  • Generates static sites from one folder
  • Supports GitHub-Flavored Markdown
  • Provides Atom and JSON feeds
  • Templates use Template Toolkit
  • Supports microformats and Webmention

What to know first

  • Requires Perl 5.26 or later
  • Needs cpanm for installation
  • Basic mode provides no web server
  • Source HTML is not filtered

Verdict

Plerd offers a focused static publishing workflow with Markdown, templates, feeds, and IndieWeb support. Users must supply hosting, install Perl dependencies, and understand that source HTML passes through unfiltered.

Facts from Plerd's own pages

Audience and scope
The maker says Plerd is designed for blogs, podcasts, or other sites presenting a single time-ordered array of posts with syndication feeds. · github.com, 12 Oct 2026
Customization
The generated pages use customizable templates rendered with Template Toolkit. · github.com, 12 Oct 2026
Founded
2014 · github.com, 28 Sept 2026
Hosting requirement
In its basic mode, Plerd generates static files but does not provide a web server; another server must serve the output directory. · github.com, 12 Oct 2026
Integrations
The project describes syncing workflows with Dropbox or rclone and supports IndieWeb technologies including microformats and Webmention. · github.com, 12 Oct 2026
Intended audience
The maker describes Plerd as a narrow-scope tool for blogs, podcasts, or other sites presenting a single time-ordered array of posts with syndication feeds. · github.com, 12 Oct 2026
Markdown
Plerd processes posts in GitHub-Flavored Markdown mode, including CommonMark and extensions such as tables, strikethrough, and task lists. · github.com, 12 Oct 2026
Output
Generated sites include post pages, a recent-posts front page, an archive, a tags page, and Atom and JSON Feed documents. · github.com, 12 Oct 2026
Project status
The maker describes Plerd as released and stable and says he has used it continuously since 2014. · github.com, 12 Oct 2026
Publishing
A daemon watches the source folder and updates the published files when content changes. · github.com, 12 Oct 2026
Publishing workflow
A daemon watches the source folder and updates the published files when content changes. · github.com, 12 Oct 2026
Purpose
Plerd is an ultralight blogging platform for Markdown fans that generates a static website from files in one folder. · github.com, 12 Oct 2026
Requirements
Installation requires Perl version 5.26 or later and the cpanm program for managing Perl libraries. · github.com, 12 Oct 2026
Security behavior
Plerd passes HTML markup in post source files to the published output unfiltered because it is intended as a single-user platform. · github.com, 12 Oct 2026
Support
The maker invites bug reports, pull requests, questions, and suggestions through GitHub or direct email. · github.com, 12 Oct 2026
Theme customization
custom code · github.com, 22 Sept 2026
Web server requirement
In basic mode, Plerd generates static HTML and XML files but does not provide a web server. · github.com, 12 Oct 2026

Where Plerd stands on Freedom251

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