Quick Verdict
WordPress is the better choice for most self-hosters. It deploys in minutes with Docker Compose, has 61,000+ plugins, and lets non-developers manage content without touching code. Choose Wagtail only if you have a development team, need a headless CMS with a first-class content API, or your project is already built on Django.
Overview
WordPress powers roughly 43% of all websites. It's a PHP application with a 20-year ecosystem of themes, plugins, and hosting solutions. For self-hosting, it pulls as a single Docker image with Apache or Nginx baked in — point it at a MySQL database and you're running.
Wagtail is a CMS framework built on Django (Python). It's not a standalone application you install — it's a library you integrate into a Django project. Wagtail gives developers precise control over content models, page types, and editorial workflows, but requires Python knowledge and a custom Docker build.
| Aspect | Wagtail | WordPress |
|---|---|---|
| Language | Python (Django) | PHP |
| First release | 2014 | 2003 |
| GitHub stars | 20,200+ | N/A (SVN-origin) |
| License | BSD | GPLv2 |
| Official Docker image | No (custom build required) | Yes (wordpress:6.9) |
Feature Comparison
| Feature | Wagtail | WordPress |
|---|---|---|
| Content API (headless) | Native StreamField API, excellent | REST API + WPGraphQL plugin |
| Plugin ecosystem | ~500 packages (Django/Wagtail) | 61,000+ plugins |
| Theme marketplace | None — build your own | 14,000+ free themes |
| Admin panel | Polished React-based editor | Classic or Gutenberg editor |
| Multi-language | Built-in localization framework | Polylang or WPML plugins |
| Version control | Built-in page revisions and drafts | Revisions built-in, limited |
| User permissions | Page-level, field-level, workflow | Role-based (admin/editor/author) |
| Rich text editor | StreamField (block-based, typed) | Gutenberg (block editor) |
| Search | Built-in search backend (PostgreSQL/Elasticsearch) | Plugin required (Relevanssi, SearchWP) |
| E-commerce | Django Oscar integration | WooCommerce (dominant) |
| SEO tools | Wagtail SEO package | Yoast, Rank Math (mature) |
| Form builder | Built-in form page type | Contact Form 7, Gravity Forms |
Installation Complexity
WordPress has the simpler Docker setup by a wide margin:
# WordPress — pull and run
services:
wordpress:
image: wordpress:6.9-php8.4-apache
ports:
- "8080:80"
environment:
WORDPRESS_DB_HOST: db
WORDPRESS_DB_PASSWORD: changeme
volumes:
- wp-data:/var/www/html
db:
image: mysql:8.0
environment:
MYSQL_ROOT_PASSWORD: changeme
MYSQL_DATABASE: wordpress
volumes:
- db-data:/var/lib/mysql
That's it. Two services, five minutes.
Wagtail requires building a custom Docker image. You need a Dockerfile, a requirements.txt, Django settings, and a Gunicorn configuration. The Docker Compose file includes PostgreSQL, Redis, Nginx for static files, and the application itself. See our or
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