Automad vs Wagtail
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
Wagtail
Developer-friendly Django CMS with a great editor experience
| Feature | Automad | Wagtail |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 82 · Excellent | 96 · Excellent |
| Category | Content Management Systems | Content Management Systems |
| License | MIT | BSD-3-Clause |
| Language | TypeScript | Python |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 128 MB | 1,024 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal, source | docker, bare-metal, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 937 | ★ 20,505 |
| First released | 2014 | 2014 |
| Replaces | WordPress | Adobe Experience Manager, WordPress |
What are Automad and Wagtail?
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
Wagtail
Wagtail is an open-source Django content management system focused on a refined editor experience and developer flexibility. It powers many large, content-rich websites with structured page models.
- Refined editor interface
- StreamField flexible content
- Headless API option
- Strong accessibility focus
Automad vs Wagtail: key differences
Automad is written in TypeScript, while Wagtail is built with Python. Licensing differs — MIT for Automad versus BSD-3-Clause for Wagtail. Automad is the lighter option, starting around 128 MB of RAM against 1,024 MB for Wagtail. Wagtail has the considerably larger community, at 20,505 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 Wagtail if…
- Excellent editing experience
- Great for Python developers
Watch out for
- Requires Django expertise
- Heavier hosting needs
Frequently asked questions
Is Automad or Wagtail better?
Neither is universally better. Wagtail 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 Wagtail free and open-source?
Yes. Automad is licensed under MIT and Wagtail under BSD-3-Clause. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Automad and Wagtail with Docker?
Automad: yes. Wagtail: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Automad or Wagtail?
Automad has the smaller minimum footprint at 128 MB of RAM, compared to about 1,024 MB for Wagtail. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.