Bolt vs django 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?
Bolt
Lightweight and simple CMS built on Symfony
VS
django CMS
Enterprise CMS built on the Django framework
| Feature | Bolt | django CMS |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Content Management Systems | Content Management Systems |
| License | MIT | BSD-3-Clause |
| Language | PHP | Python |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Hard |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 1,024 MB |
| Deployment | bare-metal, source, docker | docker, bare-metal, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 590 | ★ 10,658 |
| First released | 2012 | 2009 |
| Replaces | WordPress, Contentful | Adobe Experience Manager, Sitecore |
Why pick each one
Choose Bolt if…
- Released under the MIT license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Written in PHP
- Lightweight — runs in 512 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is Bolt or django CMS better?
Neither is universally better. django CMS has the larger community, while Bolt is simpler to set up (medium difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are Bolt and django CMS free and open-source?
Yes. Bolt is licensed under MIT and django CMS under BSD-3-Clause. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Bolt and django CMS with Docker?
Bolt: yes. django CMS: yes.