Anchor CMS vs Pico
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 | Pico |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 15 · At risk | 65 · Good |
| Status | Archived | Actively maintained |
| Category | Content Management Systems | Content Management Systems |
| License | GPL-3.0 | MIT |
| Language | PHP | PHP |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 128 MB | 128 MB |
| Deployment | bare-metal, docker, source | bare-metal, docker, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 3,293 | ★ 3,905 |
| First released | 2012 | 2012 |
| Replaces | WordPress | WordPress |
What are Anchor CMS and Pico?
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
Pico
Pico is a minimal, fast flat-file content management system that uses Markdown files for content and Twig templates for layout. It needs no database and no admin backend.
- No database required
- Markdown content
- Twig templating
- Tiny footprint
Anchor CMS vs Pico: key differences
The biggest difference is maintenance: Anchor CMS's repository is archived and no longer developed, while Pico is actively maintained. Both projects are written in PHP. Licensing differs — GPL-3.0 for Anchor CMS versus MIT for Pico.
Why pick each one
Choose Anchor CMS if…
- Very lightweight
- Easy installation
Watch out for
- Limited features
- Development inactive
Choose Pico if…
- Extremely lightweight
- Zero configuration to start
Watch out for
- No admin UI by default
- Not for large dynamic sites
Frequently asked questions
Is Anchor CMS or Pico better?
Neither is universally better. Pico has the larger community; both share a easy setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Anchor CMS and Pico free and open-source?
Yes. Anchor CMS is licensed under GPL-3.0 and Pico under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Anchor CMS and Pico with Docker?
Anchor CMS: yes. Pico: yes.