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Umbraco vs Craft CMS

Our score, every feature we track, pricing plans, hosting and AI, side by side.

Umbraco

Open-source .NET CMS with an optional managed cloud

4.1/ 5

Full profile

Craft CMS

PHP CMS with flexible content modelling, by Pixel & Tonic

4.2/ 5

Full profile

At a glance

The facts from each platform's profile, side by side.

Metric Umbraco Craft CMS
Our score 4.1 4.2
Pricing CMS free · Umbraco Cloud from €45/mo Solo free · Team $279 or Pro $399 per project · Craft Cloud from $120/mo
AI Open-source Umbraco.AI packages with a Copilot, plus Editor MCP (beta) and Developer MCP No AI in the core; MCP support comes from third-party plugins
Hosting SaaS or self-hosted SaaS or self-hosted
Source code Open source,Closed source Closed source
Created 2003 2013Blocks
Best for Teams that build on Microsoft .NET Agencies building custom, content-heavy marketing sites
AI features Open-source Umbraco.AI packages with a Copilot, plus Editor MCP (beta) and Developer MCP No AI in the core; MCP support comes from third-party plugins

Features

How each platform offers a feature: free, in the cheapest paid plan, on a higher plan, or enterprise only. Open a feature to compare it across every platform.

Umbraco

Craft CMS

Pricing

Every plan, cheapest first, and what the bill is counted by. Open a profile for what each plan includes.

Umbraco

  1. Umbraco CMS (open source)Free Free .NET teams who host the CMS themselves
  2. Cloud StarterPer project €45per project / month Single sites that need managed hosting
  3. Cloud StandardPer project €280per project / month Teams needing several environments and an SLA
  4. Cloud ProfessionalPer project €730per project / month Large teams running business-critical sites
  5. Cloud EnterpriseCustom quote Custom Organizations with custom limits and 24/7 needs

Prices checked Vendor pricing page

Craft CMS

  1. SoloFree Free Developers building a site for themselves
  2. TeamOne-time license $279once, per project Small teams on one site
  3. ProOne-time license $399once, per project Professional sites for businesses and organizations
  4. Craft CloudPer project $120per project / month Teams who want Craft's own managed hosting
  5. EnterpriseCustom quote Custom Projects with specific licensing requirements

Prices checked Vendor pricing page

Strengths and watch-outs

From our review of each platform.

Umbraco

Strengths

  • The core CMS is free and open source.
  • Umbraco.AI packages are open source: you pick the AI provider and pay them directly.
  • A hosted Editor MCP lets AI tools find, create and publish content, free on all Cloud plans.
  • Suits teams that already work in .NET and C#.

Watch out for

  • The Editor MCP is still a public beta.
  • Forms, Deploy, Engage, Commerce and Workflow are paid add-ons without listed prices.
  • Umbraco 13 reaches end of life in December 2026, so older sites need upgrades.
  • Cloud prices are in euros, and extra environments cost €45 to €110/mo.

Craft CMS

Strengths

  • Very flexible content modelling with custom fields and entry types.
  • The Solo edition is free for a single user.
  • A one-off licence per project instead of a monthly fee when you host it yourself.
  • Craft Cloud bundles the Team or Pro licence with hosting, CDN and firewall.

Watch out for

  • Not open source: the code is public, but the Craft License is proprietary.
  • Updates after the first year cost $99 a year on Team and Pro.
  • No built-in AI; MCP support comes from third-party plugins.
  • Craft 6 is a rebuild on Laravel, still in alpha, and plugins will need new versions.

More comparisons

Everything on this page comes from our profiles of the two platforms, checked against each vendor's own documentation and pricing pages. Vendors change plans often: confirm prices on their site before you buy.