Pagekit vs Pico
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted content management systems options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Pico
Stupidly simple flat-file CMS
| Feature | Pagekit | Pico |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 15 · At risk | 65 · Good |
| Status | Archived | Actively maintained |
| Category | Content Management Systems | Content Management Systems |
| License | MIT | MIT |
| Language | PHP | PHP |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 256 MB | 128 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal, source | bare-metal, docker, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 5,454 | ★ 3,905 |
| First released | 2014 | 2012 |
| Replaces | WordPress | WordPress |
What are Pagekit and Pico?
Pagekit
Pagekit is a modular, open-source content management system with a clean, modern interface built on Symfony components and Vue.js. It includes a blog and a marketplace for extensions.
- Modern Vue.js interface
- Modular architecture
- Built-in blog
- Marketplace for extensions
Pico
Pico is a minimal, fast flat-file content management system that uses Markdown files for content and Twig templates for layout. It needs no database and no admin backend.
- No database required
- Markdown content
- Twig templating
- Tiny footprint
Pagekit vs Pico: key differences
The biggest difference is maintenance: Pagekit's repository is archived and no longer developed, while Pico is actively maintained. Both projects are written in PHP. Pico is the lighter option, starting around 128 MB of RAM against 256 MB for Pagekit. Pico is the more established project (first released 2012), while Pagekit arrived in 2014.
Why pick each one
Choose Pagekit if…
- Clean, modern admin
- Lightweight
Watch out for
- Development has stalled
- Limited active maintenance
Choose Pico if…
- Extremely lightweight
- Zero configuration to start
Watch out for
- No admin UI by default
- Not for large dynamic sites
Frequently asked questions
Is Pagekit or Pico better?
Neither is universally better. Pagekit has the larger community; both share a easy setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Pagekit and Pico free and open-source?
Yes. Pagekit is licensed under MIT and Pico under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Pagekit and Pico with Docker?
Pagekit: yes. Pico: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Pagekit or Pico?
Pico has the smaller minimum footprint at 128 MB of RAM, compared to about 256 MB for Pagekit. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.