Cockpit Next vs Statamic
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted content management systems options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Statamic
Laravel-powered flat-file CMS for custom sites
| Feature | Cockpit Next | Statamic |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 81 · Excellent | 89 · Excellent |
| Category | Content Management Systems | Content Management Systems |
| License | MIT | MIT |
| Language | PHP | PHP |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 256 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | bare-metal, source, docker | docker, bare-metal, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 747 | ★ 4,895 |
| First released | 2021 | 2012 |
| Replaces | Contentful, Strapi | WordPress, Contentful |
What are Cockpit Next and Statamic?
Cockpit Next
Cockpit Next is the rewritten generation of the Cockpit headless CMS, providing a content API, structured content management, and asset handling without dictating a presentation layer. It is designed to serve content to websites, apps, and other services.
- Headless content API
- Structured content models
- Asset manager
- Lightweight footprint
Statamic
Statamic is a content management system built on Laravel that can run flat-file or database-backed. It offers a friendly control panel and a developer-focused workflow for building custom websites.
- Flat-file or database storage
- Built on Laravel
- Git-friendly content
- Polished control panel
Cockpit Next vs Statamic: key differences
Both projects are written in PHP. Cockpit Next is the lighter option, starting around 256 MB of RAM against 512 MB for Statamic. Statamic is the more established project (first released 2012), while Cockpit Next arrived in 2021. Statamic has the considerably larger community, at 4,895 GitHub stars versus 747.
Why pick each one
Choose Cockpit Next if…
- Released under the MIT license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Written in PHP
- Tiny footprint — runs in 256 MB RAM
Choose Statamic if…
- Great for Laravel developers
- Easy version control of content
Watch out for
- Solo and Pro licenses can be paid
- Best suited to developers
Frequently asked questions
Is Cockpit Next or Statamic better?
Neither is universally better. Statamic has the larger community; both share a medium setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Cockpit Next and Statamic free and open-source?
Yes. Cockpit Next is licensed under MIT and Statamic under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Cockpit Next and Statamic with Docker?
Cockpit Next: yes. Statamic: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Cockpit Next or Statamic?
Cockpit Next has the smaller minimum footprint at 256 MB of RAM, compared to about 512 MB for Statamic. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.