Statamic
Statamic vs WordPress: a side-by-side comparison
Stay on WordPress if plugins, WooCommerce or a wide hiring pool matter most. Choose Statamic if you have a Laravel team or a structured content site, and you want to keep it in Git.
By itmarkerz Technologies. Updated 30 October 2026.
Side by side
| Statamic | WordPress | |
|---|---|---|
| Software price | Core free. Pro $349 per site, then $99 a year for updates | Free |
| Content storage | Flat files by default, with an official Eloquent driver for a database | A MySQL or MariaDB database |
| Server recommendation | PHP 8.3 or above, plus Composer | PHP 8.3 or newer, MySQL 8.0 or MariaDB 10.11 or newer, HTTPS |
| Built on | Laravel, as a package | Its own PHP codebase |
| Templates | Antlers or Blade | PHP themes and block themes |
| Editors | Core has one admin. Pro has unlimited users and roles | Unlimited users and roles |
| Extensions | A smaller Marketplace, then custom Laravel code | A far larger plugin and theme directory |
| Version control | Content can live in Git with the code | Code in Git, content in the database |
| APIs | REST and GraphQL on Pro | REST API included |
| Major upgrades | About yearly. One year of bug fixes, 18 months of security fixes | Regular core releases, with plugin compatibility to watch |
| Our published care plan | None: quoted by scope | Premium USD 89/month or Enterprise USD 159/month |
Sources: Statamic pricing, Statamic requirements, Statamic release policy and WordPress requirements, checked on 30 October 2026.
The difference that shapes daily work
With Statamic’s default setup, content is stored as files. Your entries can be committed and reviewed like code, and moved between staging and live with Git. That appeals to developers and to teams that want to know exactly what changed. It has a cost: you have to decide how edits made on the live site get back into the repository, and that should be designed on day one.
WordPress keeps content in a database, and the code and content follow separate paths. Moving a staging site’s content to live is a known annoyance, but your hosting team, backups and tools all expect it, and most hosts sell a setup tuned for it.
Where WordPress is the better pick
- You rely on plugins with no Statamic equivalent, especially for bookings, memberships or events.
- You run a real shop on WooCommerce.
- You want to hire from the widest pool, or your staff already know the admin.
- You run on a shared hosting plan and want to stay there.
- The site is working and the upkeep isn’t a problem. Replatforming to solve nothing is an expensive hobby.
Where Statamic is the better pick
- You already run Laravel, and want the marketing site and product to share a codebase and views.
- The content has a clear structure, and editors do better with defined fields than with a free-form page builder.
- Developers want content under version control.
- Plugin upkeep has become the main cost of a site that doesn’t use many of its plugins’ features.
- You’d rather extend the site in Laravel than assemble it from plugins.
Cost: compare the same three years
Statamic’s licence is a visible cost and WordPress plugins are many small ones, so people tend to compare the wrong things. Use the Statamic cost calculator with your real quotes, then run the same sums for WordPress: paid plugin renewals, hosting and care. If you are on WordPress today, those numbers are on your invoices. Add the cost of migrating before calling a move cheaper.
We build on both, through our Statamic and WordPress services, so we don’t need you to pick one in particular.
Questions
Is Statamic faster than WordPress?
We don't publish a speed figure, because either can be fast or slow depending on the build. Statamic documents built-in static caching, including a full mode that serves HTML files before PHP runs. WordPress can reach similar results with caching plugins or server configuration. Test your own pages rather than trusting a general claim.
Is Statamic more secure than WordPress?
It's a different risk. A flat-file site with few addons exposes less, and a WordPress site's risk grows with its plugin list. But Statamic still needs security releases applied, and a well-kept WordPress site is a reasonable place to be. Upkeep matters more than the logo.
Can Statamic run a shop like WooCommerce does?
It has nothing built in that compares with WooCommerce. If the shop is a large part of the business, stay on WordPress with WooCommerce or use a commerce platform. Statamic can sit next to one as the content site.
Will we be stuck with a small pool of developers?
The pool is smaller than WordPress's, and that is a real consideration. It helps that Statamic is a Laravel package, so a Laravel developer can pick up its code. Ask any agency how a site would be handed over.
More on Statamic
- Statamic cost in 2026: licence, build, maintenanceCurrent licence prices and a calculator for your own build and hosting figures.
- WordPress to Statamic migration cost: how to scope itWhat to count on your site, and what a migration quote should include.
- Statamic vs Craft CMS: pricing, stack and fitPrices, limits and requirements side by side, with sources.
- How to choose a Statamic agency: 10 questions to askWhat partner badges mean, and the questions that separate agencies.
- Statamic hosting requirements: what your server needsPHP, extensions, version ranges, caching and what to ask a host.
Weighing up a move?
Tell us what the site does and who edits it. We build on both, so if WordPress is the better fit, we will say so.
We reply within one business day (IST).