Backdrop CMS vs Keystone
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted content management systems options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Not the right match-up?
Backdrop CMS
Comprehensive CMS forked from Drupal for smaller sites
VS
Keystone
Headless CMS framework with a powerful GraphQL API
| Feature | Backdrop CMS | Keystone |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Content Management Systems | Content Management Systems |
| License | GPL-2.0 | MIT |
| Language | PHP | TypeScript |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal, source | docker, bare-metal, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 1,044 | ★ 9,938 |
| First released | 2015 | 2013 |
| Replaces | WordPress, Drupal | Contentful, Strapi |
Why pick each one
Frequently asked questions
Is Backdrop CMS or Keystone better?
Neither is universally better. Keystone has the larger community; both share a medium setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Backdrop CMS and Keystone free and open-source?
Yes. Backdrop CMS is licensed under GPL-2.0 and Keystone under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Backdrop CMS and Keystone with Docker?
Backdrop CMS: yes. Keystone: yes.