Automad vs Pagekit
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
Pagekit
Archived
Modular and lightweight CMS with a modern interface
| Feature | Automad | Pagekit |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 82 · Excellent | 15 · At risk |
| Status | Actively maintained | Archived |
| Category | Content Management Systems | Content Management Systems |
| License | MIT | MIT |
| Language | TypeScript | PHP |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 128 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal, source | docker, bare-metal, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 937 | ★ 5,454 |
| First released | 2014 | 2014 |
| Replaces | WordPress | WordPress |
What are Automad and Pagekit?
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
Pagekit
Pagekit is a modular, open-source content management system with a clean, modern interface built on Symfony components and Vue.js. It includes a blog and a marketplace for extensions.
- Modern Vue.js interface
- Modular architecture
- Built-in blog
- Marketplace for extensions
Automad vs Pagekit: key differences
The biggest difference is maintenance: Pagekit's repository is archived and no longer developed, while Automad is actively maintained. Automad is written in TypeScript, while Pagekit is built with PHP. Automad is the lighter option, starting around 128 MB of RAM against 256 MB for Pagekit. Pagekit has the considerably larger community, at 5,454 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 Pagekit if…
- Clean, modern admin
- Lightweight
Watch out for
- Development has stalled
- Limited active maintenance
Frequently asked questions
Is Automad or Pagekit better?
Neither is universally better. Pagekit has the larger community; both share a easy setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Automad and Pagekit free and open-source?
Yes. Automad is licensed under MIT and Pagekit under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Automad and Pagekit with Docker?
Automad: yes. Pagekit: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Automad or Pagekit?
Automad has the smaller minimum footprint at 128 MB of RAM, compared to about 256 MB for Pagekit. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.