PublicCMS vs Winter 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 | PublicCMS | Winter CMS |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Read-the-docs project | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 86 · Excellent | 84 · Excellent |
| Category | Content Management Systems | Content Management Systems |
| License | Apache-2.0 | MIT |
| Language | Java | PHP |
| Setup difficulty | Hard | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 1,024 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | bare-metal, source | docker, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 2,097 | ★ 1,520 |
| First released | 2015 | 2021 |
| Replaces | WordPress | WordPress |
What are PublicCMS and Winter CMS?
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
Winter CMS
Winter CMS is a free, open-source content management system based on the Laravel framework, created as a community-driven fork of October CMS. It offers a clean backend, a plugin marketplace, and developer-friendly tooling.
- Laravel foundation
- Plugin marketplace
- Clean admin backend
- Developer tooling
PublicCMS vs Winter CMS: key differences
PublicCMS is written in Java, while Winter CMS is built with PHP. Licensing differs — Apache-2.0 for PublicCMS versus MIT for Winter CMS. Winter CMS is the lighter option, starting around 512 MB of RAM against 1,024 MB for PublicCMS. PublicCMS is the more established project (first released 2015), while Winter CMS arrived in 2021. Winter CMS lists first-class Docker deployment; PublicCMS does not.
Why pick each one
Choose PublicCMS if…
- Released under the Apache-2.0 license
- Active community (2.1k GitHub stars)
- Written in Java
Choose Winter CMS if…
- Released under the MIT license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Active community (1.5k GitHub stars)
- Written in PHP
Watch out for
- Requires PHP knowledge
- Smaller plugin catalog
Frequently asked questions
Is PublicCMS or Winter CMS better?
Neither is universally better. PublicCMS has the larger community, while Winter CMS is simpler to set up (medium difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are PublicCMS and Winter CMS free and open-source?
Yes. PublicCMS is licensed under Apache-2.0 and Winter CMS under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run PublicCMS and Winter CMS with Docker?
PublicCMS: check the project docs for container support. Winter CMS: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, PublicCMS or Winter CMS?
Winter CMS has the smaller minimum footprint at 512 MB of RAM, compared to about 1,024 MB for PublicCMS. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.