Plume

Free plan Self-hostedWeb

What Plume is

Plume is a free, MIT-licensed, self-hosted publishing platform for the independent web. Authors write posts as plain Markdown files, place them in the data/posts folder, and run plume publish to publish them. Built-in full-text search uses YetiSearch, so readers can find posts without an external service. Markdown rendering includes Shiki syntax highlighting. Plume automatically creates RSS feeds for syndication and switches between light and dark themes according to system preferences. Blog analytics are available, and custom code can be used for theme customization. Installation documentation covers Docker Compose, Docker, and manual Docker Compose configuration; the project lists Docker and Docker Compose, or PHP for manual installation. The guide recommends a reverse proxy and provides NGINX, Apache, and Caddy examples. Plume has no plugins or dashboards. Support uses GitHub Discussions, with GitHub Issues for bugs. The Free plan costs nothing.

Who it suits

It suits independent-web publishers comfortable managing self-hosted software, Markdown files, and Docker or PHP installation. Readers needing plugins or dashboards should note that Plume does not provide them.

What it does well

Plain Markdown files drive publishing
Built-in full-text search requires no outside service
Automatic RSS feeds support syndication
Light and dark themes follow system preferences
MIT license permits free use

What to know first

No plugins are available
No dashboards are provided
Self-hosted installation is required
Docker, Docker Compose, or PHP is needed

Plans

Plan	Billed and limits	Price
Free	Self-hosted · MIT licensed	Free

As plume.pub lists them, read 12 Oct 2026. The maker's own page has the final word.

Verdict

Plume offers a file-based publishing workflow with search, RSS, analytics, syntax highlighting, and automatic theme switching. Its free MIT-licensed model fits independent publishers willing to handle hosting and installation.

Facts from Plume's own pages

Blog analytics: Yes · plume.pub, 22 Sept 2026
Free plan: Yes · plume.pub, 22 Sept 2026
Installation: The documentation describes installation with Docker Compose, Docker, or a manual Docker Compose configuration. · docs.plume.pub, 12 Oct 2026
Integrations: Full-text search is powered by YetiSearch, and syntax highlighting is powered by Shiki. · docs.plume.pub, 12 Oct 2026
Intended users: The site presents Plume as a publishing platform for the independent web. · plume.pub, 12 Oct 2026
License: Plume is licensed under the MIT License. · docs.plume.pub, 12 Oct 2026
Limitations: The site says Plume has no plugins or dashboards. · plume.pub, 12 Oct 2026
Publishing: The site says to place a Markdown file in the data/posts folder and run plume publish to publish it. · plume.pub, 12 Oct 2026
Purpose: Plume is a self-hosted, flat-file publishing platform for the independent web. · plume.pub, 12 Oct 2026
Requirements: The GitHub project says Docker and Docker Compose are required, or PHP for manual installation. · github.com, 12 Oct 2026
RSS: Plume automatically generates RSS feeds for post syndication. · docs.plume.pub, 12 Oct 2026
Search: Built-in full-text search lets readers find posts without an external service. · plume.pub, 12 Oct 2026
Security: The installation guide recommends running Plume behind a reverse proxy and provides NGINX, Apache, and Caddy examples. · docs.plume.pub, 12 Oct 2026
Support: The project directs users to GitHub Discussions for general help and support and to GitHub Issues for bug reports. · github.com, 12 Oct 2026
Syntax highlighting: Markdown rendering includes Shiki-powered syntax highlighting. · docs.plume.pub, 12 Oct 2026
Theme customization: custom code · plume.pub, 22 Sept 2026
Themes: Light and dark themes switch automatically to match readers’ system preferences. · plume.pub, 12 Oct 2026
Writing: Posts are authored as plain Markdown files. · plume.pub, 12 Oct 2026

Where Plume stands on Freedom251

Blogging Platforms#94 of 125