Orchard Core vs Silverstripe 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 | Orchard Core | Silverstripe CMS |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 92 · Excellent | 81 · Excellent |
| Category | Content Management Systems | Content Management Systems |
| License | BSD-3-Clause | BSD-3-Clause |
| Language | C# | PHP |
| Setup difficulty | Hard | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 1,024 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal, source | docker, bare-metal, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 8,187 | ★ 724 |
| First released | 2018 | 2007 |
| Replaces | Sitecore, WordPress | Sitecore, Kentico |
What are Orchard Core and Silverstripe CMS?
Orchard Core
Orchard Core is an open-source, modular, and multi-tenant application framework and CMS built on ASP.NET Core. It enables building content-driven sites and SaaS-style multi-site setups.
- Multi-tenant by design
- Modular architecture
- GraphQL API
- Decoupled and headless modes
Silverstripe CMS
Silverstripe CMS is an open-source PHP content management system with a polished editorial interface and a powerful underlying framework. It is favored by developers building custom, structured websites.
- Clean, intuitive admin UI
- Powerful ORM and framework
- Strong content versioning
- Flexible templating
Orchard Core vs Silverstripe CMS: key differences
Orchard Core is written in C#, while Silverstripe CMS is built with PHP. Silverstripe CMS is the lighter option, starting around 512 MB of RAM against 1,024 MB for Orchard Core. Silverstripe CMS is the more established project (first released 2007), while Orchard Core arrived in 2018. Orchard Core has the considerably larger community, at 8,187 GitHub stars versus 724.
Why pick each one
Choose Orchard Core if…
- Powerful multi-tenancy
- Modern .NET architecture
Watch out for
- Steep learning curve
- Smaller ecosystem than Umbraco
Choose Silverstripe CMS if…
- Great balance of CMS and framework
- Pleasant editor experience
Watch out for
- Smaller ecosystem
- Custom development often required
Frequently asked questions
Is Orchard Core or Silverstripe CMS better?
Neither is universally better. Orchard Core has the larger community, while Silverstripe CMS is simpler to set up (medium difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are Orchard Core and Silverstripe CMS free and open-source?
Yes. Orchard Core is licensed under BSD-3-Clause and Silverstripe CMS under BSD-3-Clause. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Orchard Core and Silverstripe CMS with Docker?
Orchard Core: yes. Silverstripe CMS: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Orchard Core or Silverstripe CMS?
Silverstripe CMS has the smaller minimum footprint at 512 MB of RAM, compared to about 1,024 MB for Orchard Core. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.