SHSelfHostIndex

Automad vs Keystone

A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted content management systems options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.

Not the right match-up?
AU Automad Flat-file CMS and template engine in one VS KE Keystone Headless CMS framework with a powerful GraphQL API
FeatureAutomadKeystone
CategoryContent Management SystemsContent Management Systems
LicenseMITMIT
LanguageTypeScriptTypeScript
Setup difficultyEasyMedium
Min. RAM128 MB512 MB
Deploymentdocker, bare-metal, sourcedocker, bare-metal, source
GitHub stars★ 926★ 9,938
First released20142013
ReplacesWordPressContentful, Strapi

Why pick each one

Choose Automad if…

  • No database to manage
  • Self-contained and portable
Automad details

Choose Keystone if…

  • Strong TypeScript support
  • Flexible and extensible
Keystone details

Frequently asked questions

Is Automad or Keystone better?

Neither is universally better. Keystone has the larger community, while Automad is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.

Are Automad and Keystone free and open-source?

Yes. Automad is licensed under MIT and Keystone under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.

Can I run Automad and Keystone with Docker?

Automad: yes. Keystone: yes.

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