Automad vs October CMS
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted content management systems options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Automad
Flat-file CMS and template engine in one
VS
October CMS
Laravel-based CMS focused on simplicity for developers
| Feature | Automad | October CMS |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 82 · Excellent | 93 · Excellent |
| Category | Content Management Systems | Content Management Systems |
| License | MIT | MIT |
| Language | TypeScript | PHP |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 128 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal, source | docker, bare-metal, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 937 | ★ 11,147 |
| First released | 2014 | 2014 |
| Replaces | WordPress | WordPress, Wix |
What are Automad and October CMS?
Automad
Automad is a flexible flat-file content management system with a built-in template engine and an in-page editing dashboard. It stores all content in text files for easy version control.
- Flat-file content
- Built-in template engine
- In-page editing dashboard
- Git-friendly
October CMS
October CMS is a self-hosted content management system built on the Laravel framework, designed to make web development simple again. It uses flat-file templating with a clean backend for content editors.
- Built on Laravel
- Flat-file twig-style templating
- Plugin marketplace
- Clean developer experience
Automad vs October CMS: key differences
Automad is written in TypeScript, while October CMS is built with PHP. Automad is the lighter option, starting around 128 MB of RAM against 512 MB for October CMS. October CMS has the considerably larger community, at 11,147 GitHub stars versus 937.
Why pick each one
Choose Automad if…
- No database to manage
- Self-contained and portable
Watch out for
- Small community
- Limited extensions
Choose October CMS if…
- Great for Laravel developers
- Simple, transparent architecture
Watch out for
- Some plugins are paid
- Less suited to non-developers
Frequently asked questions
Is Automad or October CMS better?
Neither is universally better. October CMS 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 October CMS free and open-source?
Yes. Automad is licensed under MIT and October CMS under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Automad and October CMS with Docker?
Automad: yes. October CMS: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Automad or October CMS?
Automad has the smaller minimum footprint at 128 MB of RAM, compared to about 512 MB for October CMS. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.