Bludit 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.
Bludit
Simple flat-file CMS for fast websites and blogs
VS
Craft CMS
Flexible CMS for custom-designed websites
| Feature | Bludit | 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 | MIT | MIT |
| Language | PHP | PHP |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 128 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal, source | docker, bare-metal, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 1,469 | ★ 3,609 |
| First released | 2015 | 2013 |
| Replaces | WordPress, Wix | WordPress, Sitecore |
What are Bludit and Craft CMS?
Bludit
Bludit is a lightweight flat-file CMS that stores content in JSON files, requiring no database. It is aimed at users who want a quick, simple website or blog without complex setup.
- No database needed
- Plugin and theme support
- Markdown editor
- Quick installation
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
Bludit vs Craft CMS: key differences
Both projects are written in PHP. Bludit is the lighter option, starting around 128 MB of RAM against 512 MB for Craft CMS. Craft CMS is the more established project (first released 2013), while Bludit arrived in 2015. Craft CMS has the considerably larger community, at 3,609 GitHub stars versus 1,469.
Why pick each one
Choose Bludit if…
- Very easy to set up
- Easy to back up
Watch out for
- Not suited to large sites
- Smaller ecosystem
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 Bludit or Craft CMS better?
Neither is universally better. Craft CMS has the larger community, while Bludit is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are Bludit and Craft CMS free and open-source?
Yes. Bludit is licensed under MIT and Craft CMS under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Bludit and Craft CMS with Docker?
Bludit: yes. Craft CMS: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Bludit or Craft CMS?
Bludit has the smaller minimum footprint at 128 MB of RAM, compared to about 512 MB for Craft CMS. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.