Anchor CMS vs Automad
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted content management systems options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Automad
Flat-file CMS and template engine in one
| Feature | Anchor CMS | Automad |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 15 · At risk | 82 · Excellent |
| Status | Archived | Actively maintained |
| Category | Content Management Systems | Content Management Systems |
| License | GPL-3.0 | MIT |
| Language | PHP | TypeScript |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 128 MB | 128 MB |
| Deployment | bare-metal, docker, source | docker, bare-metal, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 3,293 | ★ 937 |
| First released | 2012 | 2014 |
| Replaces | WordPress | WordPress |
What are Anchor CMS and Automad?
Anchor CMS
Anchor CMS is a super-simple, lightweight open-source blogging platform and CMS written in PHP. It focuses on minimalism and getting out of the writer's way.
- Minimal and lightweight
- Markdown editing
- Simple theming
- Quick setup
Automad
Automad is a flexible flat-file content management system with a built-in template engine and an in-page editing dashboard. It stores all content in text files for easy version control.
- Flat-file content
- Built-in template engine
- In-page editing dashboard
- Git-friendly
Anchor CMS vs Automad: key differences
The biggest difference is maintenance: Anchor CMS's repository is archived and no longer developed, while Automad is actively maintained. Anchor CMS is written in PHP, while Automad is built with TypeScript. Licensing differs — GPL-3.0 for Anchor CMS versus MIT for Automad. Anchor CMS is the more established project (first released 2012), while Automad arrived in 2014. Anchor CMS has the considerably larger community, at 3,293 GitHub stars versus 937.
Why pick each one
Choose Anchor CMS if…
- Very lightweight
- Easy installation
Watch out for
- Limited features
- Development inactive
Choose Automad if…
- No database to manage
- Self-contained and portable
Watch out for
- Small community
- Limited extensions
Frequently asked questions
Is Anchor CMS or Automad better?
Neither is universally better. Anchor CMS has the larger community; both share a easy setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Anchor CMS and Automad free and open-source?
Yes. Anchor CMS is licensed under GPL-3.0 and Automad under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Anchor CMS and Automad with Docker?
Anchor CMS: yes. Automad: yes.