Automad 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.
Automad
Flat-file CMS and template engine in one
VS
Statamic
Laravel-powered flat-file CMS for custom sites
| Feature | Automad | Statamic |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 82 · Excellent | 89 · 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 | ★ 4,897 |
| First released | 2014 | 2012 |
| Replaces | WordPress | WordPress, Contentful |
What are Automad and Statamic?
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
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
Automad vs Statamic: key differences
Automad is written in TypeScript, while Statamic is built with PHP. Automad is the lighter option, starting around 128 MB of RAM against 512 MB for Statamic. Statamic is the more established project (first released 2012), while Automad arrived in 2014. Statamic has the considerably larger community, at 4,897 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 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 Automad or Statamic better?
Neither is universally better. Statamic 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 Statamic free and open-source?
Yes. Automad is licensed under MIT and Statamic under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Automad and Statamic with Docker?
Automad: yes. Statamic: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Automad or Statamic?
Automad 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.