Automad vs PublicCMS
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
PublicCMS
High-performance Java content management system
| Feature | Automad | PublicCMS |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Read-the-docs project |
| Health score | 82 · Excellent | 86 · Excellent |
| Category | Content Management Systems | Content Management Systems |
| License | MIT | Apache-2.0 |
| Language | TypeScript | Java |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Hard |
| Min. RAM | 128 MB | 1,024 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal, source | bare-metal, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 937 | ★ 2,097 |
| First released | 2014 | 2015 |
| Replaces | WordPress | WordPress |
What are Automad and PublicCMS?
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
PublicCMS
PublicCMS is an open-source content management system written in Java that generates static pages for high performance and supports managing multiple sites. It is aimed at organizations needing a fast, template-driven publishing platform.
- Static page generation
- Template-driven
- Multi-site support
- High performance
Automad vs PublicCMS: key differences
Automad is written in TypeScript, while PublicCMS is built with Java. Licensing differs — MIT for Automad versus Apache-2.0 for PublicCMS. Automad is the lighter option, starting around 128 MB of RAM against 1,024 MB for PublicCMS. PublicCMS has the considerably larger community, at 2,097 GitHub stars versus 937. Automad lists first-class Docker deployment; PublicCMS does not.
Why pick each one
Choose Automad if…
- No database to manage
- Self-contained and portable
Watch out for
- Small community
- Limited extensions
Choose PublicCMS if…
- Released under the Apache-2.0 license
- Active community (2.1k GitHub stars)
- Written in Java
Frequently asked questions
Is Automad or PublicCMS better?
Neither is universally better. PublicCMS 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 PublicCMS free and open-source?
Yes. Automad is licensed under MIT and PublicCMS under Apache-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Automad and PublicCMS with Docker?
Automad: yes. PublicCMS: check the project docs for container support.
Which is lighter on resources, Automad or PublicCMS?
Automad has the smaller minimum footprint at 128 MB of RAM, compared to about 1,024 MB for PublicCMS. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.