ClassicPress vs Wagtail
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
Wagtail
Developer-friendly Django CMS with a great editor experience
| Feature | ClassicPress | Wagtail |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Content Management Systems | Content Management Systems |
| License | GPL-2.0 | BSD-3-Clause |
| Language | PHP | Python |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 1,024 MB |
| Deployment | bare-metal, docker, one-click | docker, bare-metal, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 856 | ★ 20,433 |
| First released | 2018 | 2014 |
| Replaces | WordPress | Adobe Experience Manager, WordPress |
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 Wagtail better?
Neither is universally better. Wagtail 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 Wagtail free and open-source?
Yes. ClassicPress is licensed under GPL-2.0 and Wagtail under BSD-3-Clause. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run ClassicPress and Wagtail with Docker?
ClassicPress: yes. Wagtail: yes.