Side by side
Automad vs Piranha CMS
Both stand on content management systems. Which one you can start free with, which one lets you read the code, and what each costs once you pay.
Free plan APIExtensionLinux+4
Automad offers a database-free, extensible CMS with dashboard editing, headless access, and free MIT licensing. Its PHP requirements and self-hosted deployment make setup responsibilities part of the choice.
Visit Automad Free plan APILinuxMac+3
Piranha CMS offers a flexible .NET foundation with structured content, extensible administration, and multiple deployment choices. It is less suited to users seeking a no-code site assembled from ready-made themes and plugins.
Visit Piranha CMSThe facts
| Automad | Piranha CMS | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Open source | Not published | Not published |
| Runs on | API, Extension, Linux, Mac, Self-hosted, Web, Windows | API, Linux, Mac, Self-hosted, Web, Windows |
| Lowest paid plan | Free or on request | Free or on request |
| Plans published | 1 | 1 |
| Maker | Not published | Not published |
| Website | automad.org | piranhacms.org |
| On content management systems | #73 of 165 | #69 of 165 |
Automad: what it does well
- No database required
- Human-readable files support version control
- Read-only headless JSON API
- Browser dashboard with block editing
- Free for private and commercial projects
What to know first
- Self-hosted setup required
- Version 2 is beta
- PHP 8.2 or newer required
- Version 1 is unsupported
Piranha CMS: what it does well
- Free MIT-licensed software
- Block editing with live preview
- Custom roles and editorial workflows
- MVC and Razor Pages templates
- Local or Azure Blob storage
What to know first
- No ready-made themes and plugins
- MySQL and PostgreSQL support is community-maintained
- Default manager credentials require changing
- Focused on developers and programming
Alternatives to Automad Alternatives to Piranha CMS The whole list