Statamic 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.
Statamic
Laravel-powered flat-file CMS for custom sites
VS
Wagtail
Developer-friendly Django CMS with a great editor experience
| Feature | Statamic | Wagtail |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 89 · Excellent | 96 · Excellent |
| Category | Content Management Systems | Content Management Systems |
| License | MIT | BSD-3-Clause |
| Language | PHP | Python |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 1,024 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal, source | docker, bare-metal, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 4,897 | ★ 20,505 |
| First released | 2012 | 2014 |
| Replaces | WordPress, Contentful | Adobe Experience Manager, WordPress |
What are Statamic and Wagtail?
Statamic
Statamic is a content management system built on Laravel that can run flat-file or database-backed. It offers a friendly control panel and a developer-focused workflow for building custom websites.
- Flat-file or database storage
- Built on Laravel
- Git-friendly content
- Polished control panel
Wagtail
Wagtail is an open-source Django content management system focused on a refined editor experience and developer flexibility. It powers many large, content-rich websites with structured page models.
- Refined editor interface
- StreamField flexible content
- Headless API option
- Strong accessibility focus
Statamic vs Wagtail: key differences
Statamic is written in PHP, while Wagtail is built with Python. Licensing differs — MIT for Statamic versus BSD-3-Clause for Wagtail. Statamic is the lighter option, starting around 512 MB of RAM against 1,024 MB for Wagtail. Statamic is the more established project (first released 2012), while Wagtail arrived in 2014. Wagtail has the considerably larger community, at 20,505 GitHub stars versus 4,897.
Why pick each one
Choose Statamic if…
- Great for Laravel developers
- Easy version control of content
Watch out for
- Solo and Pro licenses can be paid
- Best suited to developers
Choose Wagtail if…
- Excellent editing experience
- Great for Python developers
Watch out for
- Requires Django expertise
- Heavier hosting needs
Frequently asked questions
Is Statamic or Wagtail better?
Neither is universally better. Wagtail has the larger community; both share a medium setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Statamic and Wagtail free and open-source?
Yes. Statamic is licensed under MIT and Wagtail under BSD-3-Clause. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Statamic and Wagtail with Docker?
Statamic: yes. Wagtail: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Statamic or Wagtail?
Statamic has the smaller minimum footprint at 512 MB of RAM, compared to about 1,024 MB for Wagtail. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.