Craft CMS vs PublicCMS
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 | PublicCMS |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Read-the-docs project |
| Health score | 88 · Excellent | 86 · Excellent |
| Category | Content Management Systems | Content Management Systems |
| License | MIT | Apache-2.0 |
| Language | PHP | Java |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Hard |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 1,024 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal, source | bare-metal, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 3,608 | ★ 2,097 |
| First released | 2013 | 2015 |
| Replaces | WordPress, Sitecore | WordPress |
What are Craft CMS and PublicCMS?
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
PublicCMS
PublicCMS is an open-source content management system written in Java that generates static pages for high performance and supports managing multiple sites. It is aimed at organizations needing a fast, template-driven publishing platform.
- Static page generation
- Template-driven
- Multi-site support
- High performance
Craft CMS vs PublicCMS: key differences
Craft CMS is written in PHP, while PublicCMS is built with Java. Licensing differs — MIT for Craft CMS versus Apache-2.0 for PublicCMS. Craft CMS is the lighter option, starting around 512 MB of RAM against 1,024 MB for PublicCMS. Craft CMS is the more established project (first released 2013), while PublicCMS arrived in 2015. Craft CMS lists first-class Docker deployment; PublicCMS does not.
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 PublicCMS if…
- Released under the Apache-2.0 license
- Active community (2.1k GitHub stars)
- Written in Java
Frequently asked questions
Is Craft CMS or PublicCMS better?
Craft CMS is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler medium setup. Consider PublicCMS if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are Craft CMS and PublicCMS free and open-source?
Yes. Craft CMS is licensed under MIT and PublicCMS under Apache-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Craft CMS and PublicCMS with Docker?
Craft CMS: yes. PublicCMS: check the project docs for container support.
Which is lighter on resources, Craft CMS or PublicCMS?
Craft CMS has the smaller minimum footprint at 512 MB of RAM, compared to about 1,024 MB for PublicCMS. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.