ClassicPress 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?
ClassicPress
Community-led WordPress fork without the block editor
VS
Keystone
Headless CMS framework with a powerful GraphQL API
| Feature | ClassicPress | Keystone |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Content Management Systems | Content Management Systems |
| License | GPL-2.0 | MIT |
| Language | PHP | TypeScript |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | bare-metal, docker, one-click | docker, bare-metal, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 856 | ★ 9,938 |
| First released | 2018 | 2013 |
| Replaces | WordPress | Contentful, Strapi |
Why pick each one
Choose ClassicPress if…
- Released under the GPL-2.0 license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- One-click install on common self-host platforms
Frequently asked questions
Is ClassicPress or Keystone better?
Neither is universally better. Keystone has the larger community, while ClassicPress is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are ClassicPress and Keystone free and open-source?
Yes. ClassicPress is licensed under GPL-2.0 and Keystone under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run ClassicPress and Keystone with Docker?
ClassicPress: yes. Keystone: yes.