Craft CMS vs Pico
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 | Pico |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 88 · Excellent | 65 · Good |
| Category | Content Management Systems | Content Management Systems |
| License | MIT | MIT |
| Language | PHP | PHP |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 128 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal, source | bare-metal, docker, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 3,608 | ★ 3,905 |
| First released | 2013 | 2012 |
| Replaces | WordPress, Sitecore | WordPress |
What are Craft CMS and Pico?
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
Pico
Pico is a minimal, fast flat-file content management system that uses Markdown files for content and Twig templates for layout. It needs no database and no admin backend.
- No database required
- Markdown content
- Twig templating
- Tiny footprint
Craft CMS vs Pico: key differences
Both projects are written in PHP. Pico is the lighter option, starting around 128 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 Pico if…
- Extremely lightweight
- Zero configuration to start
Watch out for
- No admin UI by default
- Not for large dynamic sites
Frequently asked questions
Is Craft CMS or Pico better?
Pico is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider Craft CMS if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are Craft CMS and Pico free and open-source?
Yes. Craft CMS is licensed under MIT and Pico under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Craft CMS and Pico with Docker?
Craft CMS: yes. Pico: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Craft CMS or Pico?
Pico has the smaller minimum footprint at 128 MB of RAM, compared to about 512 MB for Craft CMS. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.