October CMS vs WordPress
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted content management systems options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
WordPress
The most popular content management system in the world
| Feature | October CMS | WordPress |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | ≈5-minute setup |
| Health score | 93 · Excellent | 95 · Excellent |
| Category | Content Management Systems | Content Management Systems |
| License | MIT | GPL-2.0 |
| Language | PHP | PHP |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal, source | docker, bare-metal, one-click |
| GitHub stars | ★ 11,147 | ★ 21,434 |
| First released | 2014 | 2003 |
| Replaces | WordPress, Wix | Wix, Squarespace, WordPress.com |
What are October CMS and WordPress?
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
WordPress
WordPress is the world's most widely used open-source CMS, powering a large share of all websites. It offers a vast ecosystem of themes and plugins for building blogs, business sites, and complex web applications.
- Huge theme and plugin ecosystem
- Block-based Gutenberg editor
- Massive community support
- REST API for headless use
October CMS vs WordPress: key differences
Both projects are written in PHP. Licensing differs — MIT for October CMS versus GPL-2.0 for WordPress. WordPress is the more established project (first released 2003), while October CMS arrived in 2014.
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 WordPress if…
- Unmatched ecosystem and documentation
- Easy for non-technical users
Watch out for
- Frequent target for attacks
- Plugin bloat can slow sites
Frequently asked questions
Is October CMS or WordPress better?
WordPress is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider October CMS if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are October CMS and WordPress free and open-source?
Yes. October CMS is licensed under MIT and WordPress under GPL-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run October CMS and WordPress with Docker?
October CMS: yes. WordPress: yes.