October CMS vs SPIP
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted content management systems options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
SPIP
CMS with a focus on collaborative edition and multilingualism
| Feature | October CMS | SPIP |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Read-the-docs project |
| Category | Content Management Systems | Content Management Systems |
| License | MIT | GPL-3.0-or-later |
| Language | PHP | |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 50 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal, source | bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 11,147 | — |
| First released | 2014 | 2023 |
| Replaces | WordPress, Wix | Blogger, Coldfusion, Wix |
What are October CMS and SPIP?
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
SPIP
CMS with a focus on collaborative edition and multilingualism.
October CMS vs SPIP: key differences
Licensing differs — MIT for October CMS versus GPL-3.0-or-later for SPIP. SPIP is the lighter option, starting around 50 MB of RAM against 512 MB for October CMS. October CMS is the more established project (first released 2014), while SPIP arrived in 2023. October CMS lists first-class Docker deployment; SPIP does not.
Why pick each one
Choose October CMS if…
- Great for Laravel developers
- Simple, transparent architecture
Watch out for
- Some plugins are paid
- Less suited to non-developers
Choose SPIP if…
- Released under the GPL-3.0-or-later license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- Tiny footprint — runs in 50 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is October CMS or SPIP better?
Neither is universally better. October CMS has the larger community, while SPIP is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are October CMS and SPIP free and open-source?
Yes. October CMS is licensed under MIT and SPIP under GPL-3.0-or-later. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run October CMS and SPIP with Docker?
October CMS: yes. SPIP: check the project docs for container support.
Which is lighter on resources, October CMS or SPIP?
SPIP has the smaller minimum footprint at 50 MB of RAM, compared to about 512 MB for October CMS. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.