Anchor CMS vs Microweber
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 | Microweber |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 15 · At risk | 79 · Good |
| Status | Archived | Actively maintained |
| Category | Content Management Systems | Content Management Systems |
| License | GPL-3.0 | MIT |
| Language | PHP | HTML |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 128 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | bare-metal, docker, source | docker, bare-metal, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 3,293 | ★ 3,439 |
| First released | 2012 | 2013 |
| Replaces | WordPress | WordPress, Wix |
What are Anchor CMS and Microweber?
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
Microweber
Microweber is an open-source drag-and-drop website builder and content management system that includes blogging and e-commerce features. It uses a live editing interface so content can be arranged visually on the page.
- Live drag-and-drop editing
- Built-in online store
- Blogging module
- Template marketplace
Anchor CMS vs Microweber: key differences
The biggest difference is maintenance: Anchor CMS's repository is archived and no longer developed, while Microweber is actively maintained. Anchor CMS is written in PHP, while Microweber is built with HTML. Licensing differs — GPL-3.0 for Anchor CMS versus MIT for Microweber. Anchor CMS is the lighter option, starting around 128 MB of RAM against 512 MB for Microweber.
Why pick each one
Choose Anchor CMS if…
- Very lightweight
- Easy installation
Watch out for
- Limited features
- Development inactive
Choose Microweber if…
- Released under the MIT license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Active community (3.4k GitHub stars)
- Written in HTML
Frequently asked questions
Is Anchor CMS or Microweber better?
Neither is universally better. Microweber has the larger community, while Anchor CMS is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are Anchor CMS and Microweber free and open-source?
Yes. Anchor CMS is licensed under GPL-3.0 and Microweber under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Anchor CMS and Microweber with Docker?
Anchor CMS: yes. Microweber: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Anchor CMS or Microweber?
Anchor CMS has the smaller minimum footprint at 128 MB of RAM, compared to about 512 MB for Microweber. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.