Anchor CMS vs Kirby
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted content management systems options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | Anchor CMS | Kirby |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 15 · At risk | 84 · Excellent |
| Status | Archived | Actively maintained |
| Category | Content Management Systems | Content Management Systems |
| License | GPL-3.0 | Proprietary |
| Language | PHP | PHP |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 128 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | bare-metal, docker, source | docker, bare-metal, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 3,293 | ★ 1,531 |
| First released | 2012 | 2012 |
| Replaces | WordPress | WordPress, Squarespace |
What are Anchor CMS and Kirby?
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
Kirby
Kirby is a flexible file-based content management system that stores content in plain text files and gives developers full control over markup. It is popular for portfolios and custom-designed websites.
- File-based content storage
- Flexible panel for editors
- No database required
- Developer-friendly templating
Anchor CMS vs Kirby: key differences
The biggest difference is maintenance: Anchor CMS's repository is archived and no longer developed, while Kirby is actively maintained. Both projects are written in PHP. Licensing differs — GPL-3.0 for Anchor CMS versus Proprietary for Kirby. Anchor CMS is the lighter option, starting around 128 MB of RAM against 256 MB for Kirby. Anchor CMS has the considerably larger community, at 3,293 GitHub stars versus 1,531.
Why pick each one
Choose Anchor CMS if…
- Very lightweight
- Easy installation
Watch out for
- Limited features
- Development inactive
Choose Kirby if…
- Easy backups and version control
- Highly customizable
Watch out for
- Commercial license required for production
- Free only for personal use
Frequently asked questions
Is Anchor CMS or Kirby better?
Anchor CMS is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider Anchor CMS if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are Anchor CMS and Kirby free and open-source?
Yes. Anchor CMS is licensed under GPL-3.0 and Kirby under Proprietary. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Anchor CMS and Kirby with Docker?
Anchor CMS: yes. Kirby: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Anchor CMS or Kirby?
Anchor CMS has the smaller minimum footprint at 128 MB of RAM, compared to about 256 MB for Kirby. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.