SHSelfHostIndex

Backdrop CMS vs October CMS

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?
BA Backdrop CMS Comprehensive CMS forked from Drupal for smaller sites VS OC October CMS Laravel-based CMS focused on simplicity for developers
FeatureBackdrop CMSOctober CMS
Deploy effortUnder-an-hour setupUnder-an-hour setup
Health score83 · Excellent93 · Excellent
CategoryContent Management SystemsContent Management Systems
LicenseGPL-2.0MIT
LanguagePHPPHP
Setup difficultyMediumMedium
Min. RAM512 MB512 MB
Deploymentdocker, bare-metal, sourcedocker, bare-metal, source
GitHub stars★ 1,046★ 11,147
First released20152014
ReplacesWordPress, DrupalWordPress, Wix

What are Backdrop CMS and October 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

Read the full Backdrop CMS guide →

October CMS

October CMS is a self-hosted content management system built on the Laravel framework, designed to make web development simple again. It uses flat-file templating with a clean backend for content editors.

  • Built on Laravel
  • Flat-file twig-style templating
  • Plugin marketplace
  • Clean developer experience

Read the full October CMS guide →

Backdrop CMS vs October CMS: key differences

Both projects are written in PHP. Licensing differs — GPL-2.0 for Backdrop CMS versus MIT for October CMS. October CMS has the considerably larger community, at 11,147 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
Backdrop CMS details

Choose October CMS if…

  • Great for Laravel developers
  • Simple, transparent architecture

Watch out for

  • Some plugins are paid
  • Less suited to non-developers
October CMS details

Frequently asked questions

Is Backdrop CMS or October CMS better?

Neither is universally better. October CMS has the larger community; both share a medium setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.

Are Backdrop CMS and October CMS free and open-source?

Yes. Backdrop CMS is licensed under GPL-2.0 and October CMS under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.

Can I run Backdrop CMS and October CMS with Docker?

Backdrop CMS: yes. October CMS: yes.

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