PublicCMS vs Wagtail
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?
PublicCMS
High-performance Java content management system
VS
Wagtail
Developer-friendly Django CMS with a great editor experience
| Feature | PublicCMS | Wagtail |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Content Management Systems | Content Management Systems |
| License | Apache-2.0 | BSD-3-Clause |
| Language | Java | Python |
| Setup difficulty | Hard | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 1,024 MB | 1,024 MB |
| Deployment | bare-metal, source | docker, bare-metal, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 2,085 | ★ 20,433 |
| First released | 2015 | 2014 |
| Replaces | WordPress | Adobe Experience Manager, WordPress |
Why pick each one
Choose PublicCMS if…
- Released under the Apache-2.0 license
- Active community (2.1k GitHub stars)
- Written in Java
Frequently asked questions
Is PublicCMS or Wagtail better?
Wagtail is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler medium setup. Consider PublicCMS if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are PublicCMS and Wagtail free and open-source?
Yes. PublicCMS is licensed under Apache-2.0 and Wagtail under BSD-3-Clause. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run PublicCMS and Wagtail with Docker?
PublicCMS: check the project docs for container support. Wagtail: yes.