Contao 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?
Contao
Accessible open-source CMS for professional websites
VS
Wagtail
Developer-friendly Django CMS with a great editor experience
| Feature | Contao | Wagtail |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Content Management Systems | Content Management Systems |
| License | LGPL-3.0 | BSD-3-Clause |
| Language | PHP | Python |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 1,024 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal, source | docker, bare-metal, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 435 | ★ 20,433 |
| First released | 2006 | 2014 |
| Replaces | WordPress, Joomla | Adobe Experience Manager, WordPress |
Why pick each one
Frequently asked questions
Is Contao or Wagtail better?
Neither is universally better. Wagtail has the larger community; both share a medium setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Contao and Wagtail free and open-source?
Yes. Contao is licensed under LGPL-3.0 and Wagtail under BSD-3-Clause. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Contao and Wagtail with Docker?
Contao: yes. Wagtail: yes.