Craft CMS vs Orchard Core
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
Orchard Core
Modular, multi-tenant CMS built on ASP.NET Core
| Feature | Craft CMS | Orchard Core |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Content Management Systems | Content Management Systems |
| License | MIT | BSD-3-Clause |
| Language | PHP | C# |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Hard |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 1,024 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal, source | docker, bare-metal, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 3,600 | ★ 8,148 |
| First released | 2013 | 2018 |
| Replaces | WordPress, Sitecore | Sitecore, WordPress |
Why pick each one
Frequently asked questions
Is Craft CMS or Orchard Core better?
Neither is universally better. Orchard Core 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 Orchard Core free and open-source?
Yes. Craft CMS is licensed under MIT and Orchard Core under BSD-3-Clause. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Craft CMS and Orchard Core with Docker?
Craft CMS: yes. Orchard Core: yes.