Pagekit vs PublicCMS
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted content management systems options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | Pagekit | PublicCMS |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Read-the-docs project |
| Health score | 15 · At risk | 86 · Excellent |
| Status | Archived | Actively maintained |
| Category | Content Management Systems | Content Management Systems |
| License | MIT | Apache-2.0 |
| Language | PHP | Java |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Hard |
| Min. RAM | 256 MB | 1,024 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal, source | bare-metal, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 5,454 | ★ 2,097 |
| First released | 2014 | 2015 |
| Replaces | WordPress | WordPress |
What are Pagekit and PublicCMS?
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
PublicCMS
PublicCMS is an open-source content management system written in Java that generates static pages for high performance and supports managing multiple sites. It is aimed at organizations needing a fast, template-driven publishing platform.
- Static page generation
- Template-driven
- Multi-site support
- High performance
Pagekit vs PublicCMS: key differences
The biggest difference is maintenance: Pagekit's repository is archived and no longer developed, while PublicCMS is actively maintained. Pagekit is written in PHP, while PublicCMS is built with Java. Licensing differs — MIT for Pagekit versus Apache-2.0 for PublicCMS. Pagekit is the lighter option, starting around 256 MB of RAM against 1,024 MB for PublicCMS. Pagekit has the considerably larger community, at 5,454 GitHub stars versus 2,097. Pagekit lists first-class Docker deployment; PublicCMS does not.
Why pick each one
Choose Pagekit if…
- Clean, modern admin
- Lightweight
Watch out for
- Development has stalled
- Limited active maintenance
Choose PublicCMS if…
- Released under the Apache-2.0 license
- Active community (2.1k GitHub stars)
- Written in Java
Frequently asked questions
Is Pagekit or PublicCMS better?
Pagekit is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider Pagekit if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are Pagekit and PublicCMS free and open-source?
Yes. Pagekit is licensed under MIT and PublicCMS under Apache-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Pagekit and PublicCMS with Docker?
Pagekit: yes. PublicCMS: check the project docs for container support.
Which is lighter on resources, Pagekit or PublicCMS?
Pagekit has the smaller minimum footprint at 256 MB of RAM, compared to about 1,024 MB for PublicCMS. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.