Anchor CMS vs Statamic
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted content management systems options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Statamic
Laravel-powered flat-file CMS for custom sites
| Feature | Anchor CMS | Statamic |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 15 · At risk | 89 · Excellent |
| Status | Archived | Actively maintained |
| Category | Content Management Systems | Content Management Systems |
| License | GPL-3.0 | MIT |
| Language | PHP | PHP |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 128 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | bare-metal, docker, source | docker, bare-metal, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 3,293 | ★ 4,897 |
| First released | 2012 | 2012 |
| Replaces | WordPress | WordPress, Contentful |
What are Anchor CMS and Statamic?
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
Statamic
Statamic is a content management system built on Laravel that can run flat-file or database-backed. It offers a friendly control panel and a developer-focused workflow for building custom websites.
- Flat-file or database storage
- Built on Laravel
- Git-friendly content
- Polished control panel
Anchor CMS vs Statamic: key differences
The biggest difference is maintenance: Anchor CMS's repository is archived and no longer developed, while Statamic is actively maintained. Both projects are written in PHP. Licensing differs — GPL-3.0 for Anchor CMS versus MIT for Statamic. Anchor CMS is the lighter option, starting around 128 MB of RAM against 512 MB for Statamic.
Why pick each one
Choose Anchor CMS if…
- Very lightweight
- Easy installation
Watch out for
- Limited features
- Development inactive
Choose Statamic if…
- Great for Laravel developers
- Easy version control of content
Watch out for
- Solo and Pro licenses can be paid
- Best suited to developers
Frequently asked questions
Is Anchor CMS or Statamic better?
Neither is universally better. Statamic 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 Statamic free and open-source?
Yes. Anchor CMS is licensed under GPL-3.0 and Statamic under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Anchor CMS and Statamic with Docker?
Anchor CMS: yes. Statamic: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Anchor CMS or Statamic?
Anchor CMS has the smaller minimum footprint at 128 MB of RAM, compared to about 512 MB for Statamic. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.