Backdrop CMS vs Craft CMS
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted content management systems options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | Backdrop CMS | Craft CMS |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 83 · Excellent | 88 · Excellent |
| Category | Content Management Systems | Content Management Systems |
| License | GPL-2.0 | MIT |
| Language | PHP | PHP |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal, source | docker, bare-metal, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 1,046 | ★ 3,609 |
| First released | 2015 | 2013 |
| Replaces | WordPress, Drupal | WordPress, Sitecore |
What are Backdrop CMS and Craft CMS?
Backdrop CMS
Backdrop CMS is an open-source content management system forked from Drupal 7, aimed at small to medium organizations. It keeps Drupal's power while focusing on lower cost and easier use.
- Drupal-derived power
- Configuration management
- Lower hosting requirements
- Layout system
Craft CMS
Craft CMS is a content management system focused on giving developers and designers complete control over content structure and markup. The core product is open source with optional commercial editions.
- Flexible content modeling
- Twig templating
- GraphQL API
- Plugin store
Backdrop CMS vs Craft CMS: key differences
Both projects are written in PHP. Licensing differs — GPL-2.0 for Backdrop CMS versus MIT for Craft CMS. Craft CMS is the more established project (first released 2013), while Backdrop CMS arrived in 2015. Craft CMS has the considerably larger community, at 3,609 GitHub stars versus 1,046.
Why pick each one
Choose Backdrop CMS if…
- Cheaper to run than Drupal
- Familiar to Drupal users
Watch out for
- Smaller community
- Fewer modules than Drupal
Choose Craft CMS if…
- Excellent for bespoke sites
- Clean control panel
Watch out for
- Pro edition is paid
- Not ideal for non-developers
Frequently asked questions
Is Backdrop CMS or Craft CMS better?
Neither is universally better. Craft CMS has the larger community; both share a medium setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Backdrop CMS and Craft CMS free and open-source?
Yes. Backdrop CMS is licensed under GPL-2.0 and Craft CMS under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Backdrop CMS and Craft CMS with Docker?
Backdrop CMS: yes. Craft CMS: yes.