Craft CMS vs Pagekit
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted content management systems options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | Craft CMS | Pagekit |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 88 · Excellent | 15 · At risk |
| Status | Actively maintained | Archived |
| Category | Content Management Systems | Content Management Systems |
| License | MIT | MIT |
| Language | PHP | PHP |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal, source | docker, bare-metal, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 3,608 | ★ 5,454 |
| First released | 2013 | 2014 |
| Replaces | WordPress, Sitecore | WordPress |
What are Craft CMS and Pagekit?
Craft CMS
Craft CMS is a content management system focused on giving developers and designers complete control over content structure and markup. The core product is open source with optional commercial editions.
- Flexible content modeling
- Twig templating
- GraphQL API
- Plugin store
Pagekit
Pagekit is a modular, open-source content management system with a clean, modern interface built on Symfony components and Vue.js. It includes a blog and a marketplace for extensions.
- Modern Vue.js interface
- Modular architecture
- Built-in blog
- Marketplace for extensions
Craft CMS vs Pagekit: key differences
The biggest difference is maintenance: Pagekit's repository is archived and no longer developed, while Craft CMS is actively maintained. Both projects are written in PHP. Pagekit is the lighter option, starting around 256 MB of RAM against 512 MB for Craft CMS.
Why pick each one
Choose Craft CMS if…
- Excellent for bespoke sites
- Clean control panel
Watch out for
- Pro edition is paid
- Not ideal for non-developers
Choose Pagekit if…
- Clean, modern admin
- Lightweight
Watch out for
- Development has stalled
- Limited active maintenance
Frequently asked questions
Is Craft CMS or Pagekit better?
Pagekit is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider Pagekit if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are Craft CMS and Pagekit free and open-source?
Yes. Craft CMS is licensed under MIT and Pagekit under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Craft CMS and Pagekit with Docker?
Craft CMS: yes. Pagekit: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Craft CMS or Pagekit?
Pagekit has the smaller minimum footprint at 256 MB of RAM, compared to about 512 MB for Craft CMS. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.