Craft CMS vs Sulu
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 | Sulu |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 88 · Excellent | 84 · Excellent |
| Category | Content Management Systems | Content Management Systems |
| License | MIT | MIT |
| 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 | ★ 3,608 | ★ 1,350 |
| First released | 2013 | 2015 |
| Replaces | WordPress, Sitecore | Adobe Experience Manager, Sitecore |
What are Craft CMS and Sulu?
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
Sulu
Sulu is an open-source content management system built on the Symfony framework, targeted at mid-size and large business websites. It offers structured content, multi-site management, and a clean admin UI.
- Built on Symfony
- Multi-site and multilingual
- Structured content templates
- Clean admin interface
Craft CMS vs Sulu: key differences
Both projects are written in PHP. Craft CMS is the lighter option, starting around 512 MB of RAM against 1,024 MB for Sulu. Craft CMS is the more established project (first released 2013), while Sulu arrived in 2015. Craft CMS has the considerably larger community, at 3,608 GitHub stars versus 1,350.
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 Sulu if…
- Great for Symfony developers
- Solid for business sites
Watch out for
- Requires Symfony knowledge
- Steeper setup
Frequently asked questions
Is Craft CMS or Sulu better?
Craft CMS is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler medium setup. Consider Sulu if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are Craft CMS and Sulu free and open-source?
Yes. Craft CMS is licensed under MIT and Sulu under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Craft CMS and Sulu with Docker?
Craft CMS: yes. Sulu: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Craft CMS or Sulu?
Craft CMS has the smaller minimum footprint at 512 MB of RAM, compared to about 1,024 MB for Sulu. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.