Orchard Core vs Umbraco
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted content management systems options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Not the right match-up?
Orchard Core
Modular, multi-tenant CMS built on ASP.NET Core
VS
Umbraco
Friendly open-source .NET content management system
| Feature | Orchard Core | Umbraco |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Content Management Systems | Content Management Systems |
| License | BSD-3-Clause | MIT |
| Language | C# | C# |
| Setup difficulty | Hard | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 1,024 MB | 1,024 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal, source | docker, bare-metal, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 8,148 | ★ 5,224 |
| First released | 2018 | 2005 |
| Replaces | Sitecore, WordPress | Sitecore, Kentico |
Why pick each one
Frequently asked questions
Is Orchard Core or Umbraco better?
Neither is universally better. Orchard Core has the larger community, while Umbraco is simpler to set up (medium difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are Orchard Core and Umbraco free and open-source?
Yes. Orchard Core is licensed under BSD-3-Clause and Umbraco under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Orchard Core and Umbraco with Docker?
Orchard Core: yes. Umbraco: yes.