Kirby vs October CMS
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted content management systems options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | Kirby | October CMS |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 84 · Excellent | 93 · Excellent |
| Category | Content Management Systems | Content Management Systems |
| License | Proprietary | MIT |
| Language | PHP | PHP |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 256 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal, source | docker, bare-metal, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 1,531 | ★ 11,147 |
| First released | 2012 | 2014 |
| Replaces | WordPress, Squarespace | WordPress, Wix |
What are Kirby and October CMS?
Kirby
Kirby is a flexible file-based content management system that stores content in plain text files and gives developers full control over markup. It is popular for portfolios and custom-designed websites.
- File-based content storage
- Flexible panel for editors
- No database required
- Developer-friendly templating
October CMS
October CMS is a self-hosted content management system built on the Laravel framework, designed to make web development simple again. It uses flat-file templating with a clean backend for content editors.
- Built on Laravel
- Flat-file twig-style templating
- Plugin marketplace
- Clean developer experience
Kirby vs October CMS: key differences
Both projects are written in PHP. Licensing differs — Proprietary for Kirby versus MIT for October CMS. Kirby is the lighter option, starting around 256 MB of RAM against 512 MB for October CMS. Kirby is the more established project (first released 2012), while October CMS arrived in 2014. October CMS has the considerably larger community, at 11,147 GitHub stars versus 1,531.
Why pick each one
Choose Kirby if…
- Easy backups and version control
- Highly customizable
Watch out for
- Commercial license required for production
- Free only for personal use
Choose October CMS if…
- Great for Laravel developers
- Simple, transparent architecture
Watch out for
- Some plugins are paid
- Less suited to non-developers
Frequently asked questions
Is Kirby or October CMS better?
Neither is universally better. October CMS has the larger community; both share a medium setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Kirby and October CMS free and open-source?
Yes. Kirby is licensed under Proprietary and October CMS under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Kirby and October CMS with Docker?
Kirby: yes. October CMS: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Kirby or October CMS?
Kirby has the smaller minimum footprint at 256 MB of RAM, compared to about 512 MB for October CMS. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.