Craft CMS vs Drupal
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?
Craft CMS
Flexible CMS for custom-designed websites
VS
Drupal
Flexible enterprise CMS for complex content structures
| Feature | Craft CMS | Drupal |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Content Management Systems | Content Management Systems |
| License | MIT | GPL-2.0 |
| Language | PHP | PHP |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Hard |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 1,024 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal, source | docker, bare-metal, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 3,600 | ★ 4,280 |
| First released | 2013 | 2001 |
| Replaces | WordPress, Sitecore | Adobe Experience Manager, Sitecore |
Why pick each one
Frequently asked questions
Is Craft CMS or Drupal better?
Neither is universally better. Drupal has the larger community, while Craft CMS is simpler to set up (medium difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are Craft CMS and Drupal free and open-source?
Yes. Craft CMS is licensed under MIT and Drupal under GPL-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Craft CMS and Drupal with Docker?
Craft CMS: yes. Drupal: yes.