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CMS comparison Instatic vs Liferay DXP

Instatic vs Liferay DXP

Instatic is an open-source site builder that you host yourself. Liferay DXP is a closed-source enterprise DXP that you can host yourself or run on the vendor's cloud. The table below sets them side by side on 28 features. They get a different status on 12.

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  • Instatic Site builder · Open source · 15 of 28 built in
  • Liferay DXP Enterprise DXP · Closed source · 26 of 28 built in

Sources checked: Instatic on 30 Sept 2026, Liferay DXP on 29 Sept 2026. Plans and releases can change after those dates.

WAYF is an official Payload partner and top contributor. Every platform in the table is classified by the same published definitions, and each answer lists the vendor page it came from.

Feature comparison

Built inPaid tierPlugin or add-onLimitedNot available
Instatic vs Liferay DXP feature comparison. Columns are the two platforms. Rows are features, grouped by area.
Platform
Instatic Site builder
Liferay DXP Enterprise DXP
Overview
What it is Open-source, self-hosted CMS with a visual canvas editor. One Bun server runs the editor, content store and publisher, and publishing writes plain HTML files to disk.Java platform for websites, portals and commerce, with a new object-based CMS. Self-hosted or run by Liferay as PaaS or SaaS.
Edition compared The product and release each column describes. Instatic 0.0.20, open source Version 0.0.20, released 13 Sept 2026 Liferay DXP 2026.Q3, Enterprise Subscription. The Free Tier replaced Liferay Portal CE from 2026.Q1. Version 2026.q3.5, released 25 Sept 2026
Vendor CoreBunch instatic.com Liferay, Inc. liferay.com
Licence Open source MIT Closed source Proprietary, under the Liferay EULA. Free Tier activation key at no cost
Hosting Self-hosting No vendor cloud No managed hosting. You deploy the Docker image to your own server, or use the Railway and Render templates. Self-hosting Vendor cloud Free Tier suits smaller-scale use and gets no security patches, SAML or AI Hub.
Built with TypeScript, Bun, React adminJava, OSGi, React
Database SQLite, PostgreSQLMySQL, MariaDB, PostgreSQL, Oracle, SQL Server, IBM Db2
Pricing Public list prices only. Hosting and implementation are extra everywhere. Free to start Free and open source, with no paid tiers. You pay only for hosting. Free to start Free Tier at no cost for smaller-scale use. Enterprise Subscription per server instance, price on request.
Content modelling
Content model in code You define content types in files in your repository, review them like any other code and apply them from there. Imperative migration scripts alone count as limited. Not available Tables and fields live in the database and change in the Data workspace. Plugins can create tables through the SDK. 610 Built in Definitions export to JSON and deploy from the repo as batch client extensions. 7
Content model in the UI Admins can create and change content types and fields in the admin interface without writing code. Built in Custom post types and data tables in the Data workspace. 616 Built in Objects and web content structures. 6
Reusable blocks Editors compose pages from reusable, typed components or blocks, and can reorder them. Built in Visual Components with typed parameters and named slots, placed and reordered on the canvas. 72 Built in Fragments on content pages. 11
Localization Editors translate content per locale inside the CMS, by field or by entry, without a separate site for each language. Not available One site-wide language setting. No per-locale fields or entries. 21 Built in
Image transformations The CMS resizes, crops or converts images on request, through URL parameters or generated sizes, with no external service. Built in Uploads get a set of WebP sizes, and the publisher writes srcset and sizes from the layout. 81 Built in Adaptive Media generates set image resolutions. 8
APIs and delivery
REST API A documented REST or JSON HTTP API returns content. Limited The JSON API under /admin/api/cms serves the admin behind a session cookie. No token-based content API outside MCP. 920 Built in Headless REST APIs. 9
GraphQL API The vendor or an official module provides a GraphQL API for content. Not available Built in 9
Webhooks The CMS can call an external URL when content is created, changed or published. Not available No built-in webhooks. A plugin with network access can call a URL from content hooks. 10 Built in Object actions call a webhook on add, update or delete. 10
Renders the website The CMS itself renders and serves the public pages through themes or templates. Headless-only products answer no. Built in Publishing renders every page to static HTML on the server's disk. 11 Built in
Editorial workflow
Drafts Editors save changes as a draft and publish them later. The live version stays untouched until then. Built in 51 Built in
Scheduled publishing An editor can set a future date and time for content to publish or unpublish. Built in Per page and per post-type entry. 5 Built in Display and expiration dates.
Version history The CMS keeps earlier versions of an entry, and editors can compare or restore them. Built in Published versions of pages and entries, restorable into the draft. Added in 0.0.20. 124 Built in
Preview Editors can see unpublished content rendered as it will appear on the site before publishing. Built in The canvas renders drafts in the site design. Branch preview links work without an account. 122 Built in
Visual editing Editors can click on the rendered page and edit content in place or in a side panel next to it. Built in Editing happens on the rendered page canvas, with a live mode for the full-size page. 214 Built in Inline editing in the content page editor. 11
Approval workflows Content moves through review stages you configure, such as draft, review and approved, with permissions per stage. Limited Branch merge requests with a review page and comments. No configurable review stages. 12 Built in Kaleo workflow, also included in the Free Tier. 3
Content releases Editors group changes across several entries and publish them together as one release. Limited Publish ships all draft pages at once. Branches group edits across pages and entries, but entries still publish one by one. 125 Built in Publications group changes and publish them together. 12
Real-time co-editing Two or more editors can work on the same entry at once and see each other's changes live. Limited Live co-editing of pages, components and layouts in the Site editor. Content workspace entries save separately. 13144 Not available A page locks while one editor has it open. 13
Access and governance
Custom roles Admins define their own roles with granular permissions instead of picking from a fixed set. Built in The Owner builds roles from a fixed list of capabilities. 1516 Built in
Field-level permissions Admins can restrict access to single fields, on top of content types and entries. Not available Capabilities apply per table type and edit category, not per field. 16 Not available Permissions apply per object, entry or asset. 14
Single sign-on Editors can sign in through SAML or OpenID Connect against a company identity provider. Not available Email and password with optional TOTP two-factor. 15 Built in SAML and OpenID Connect. The Free Tier lacks SAML. 315
Audit log The CMS logs who changed what and when across the whole installation, and admins can review the log. Built in Append-only log of logins, content changes, role edits and plugin actions. 17 Built in Audit framework with search and export of events. 16
Platform and extensibility
Multiple sites One installation or account can manage several separate websites or brands with shared users. Not available One site per installation. 2 Built in
Extensible admin UI Developers can add their own components, views or fields to the editing interface. Built in Plugins add admin pages, editor extensions, dashboard widgets and canvas modules. 10 Built in Client extensions. 7
Plugin marketplace The vendor runs an official directory or marketplace of installable extensions. Not available Plugins install as uploaded zip packages. No official directory. 10 Built in Liferay Marketplace. 17
Form builder Editors can build and publish forms and collect submissions without code. Built in Forms are built on the canvas and submissions land in a data table. 18 Built in Liferay Forms.
Site member accounts The platform handles sign-up and login for public site users or members, separate from editors. Not available Built in
AI writing assistant A first-party AI feature in the editing interface generates, rewrites or translates content. Built in Built-in agent in the Site and Content workspaces, with your own Claude, OpenAI, OpenRouter or Ollama key. 19 Built in AI Hub writing tools in the new CMS. Not in the Free Tier. 418
Official MCP server The vendor publishes a Model Context Protocol server so AI agents can read or write content. Built in Built in at /_instatic/mcp, with OAuth or scoped personal access tokens. 20 Built in Built-in MCP server released in 2026.Q3, switched on by feature flag. 19

Instatic sources

Checked 30 Sept 2026. Instatic 0.0.20, open source.

  1. Instatic homepage
  2. Instatic repository on GitHub
  3. Instatic 0.0.20 release
  4. Instatic changelog
  5. Instatic docs: Content storage
  6. Instatic docs: Data workspace
  7. Instatic docs: Visual Components
  8. Instatic docs: Media
  9. Instatic docs: Server
  10. Instatic docs: Plugin system
  11. Instatic docs: Publisher
  12. Instatic docs: Site branches
  13. Instatic docs: Site shell and real-time co-editing
  14. Instatic docs: Content workspace
  15. Instatic docs: Auth and access
  16. Instatic docs: Capabilities
  17. Instatic docs: Audit log
  18. Instatic docs: CMS-native forms
  19. Instatic docs: AI agent
  20. Instatic docs: MCP connectors
  21. Instatic docs: Editor

Liferay DXP sources

Checked 29 Sept 2026. Liferay DXP 2026.Q3, Enterprise Subscription. The Free Tier replaced Liferay Portal CE from 2026.Q1..

  1. Liferay DXP 2026.q3.5 release files
  2. Now available: Liferay DXP Quarterly Release 2026.Q3
  3. Liferay DXP Free Tier (Liferay Learn)
  4. Liferay DXP Free Tier: what it is, how to get it, and when to upgrade
  5. CE is sunsetted. What's your next move?
  6. Liferay Learn: Content Management System
  7. Liferay Learn: Client Extensions
  8. Liferay Learn: Using Adaptive Media
  9. Liferay Learn: Consuming GraphQL APIs
  10. Liferay Learn: Object actions
  11. Liferay Learn: Using Content Pages
  12. Liferay Learn: Publications
  13. Liferay Learn: Configuring Locked Pages
  14. Liferay Learn: Objects permissions framework integration
  15. Liferay Learn: Using OpenID Connect
  16. Liferay Learn: Audit Framework
  17. Liferay Marketplace
  18. Liferay AI Hub
  19. Liferay Learn: Using Liferay as an MCP Server
  20. Liferay Learn: Cloud

Considering more platforms? Compare Instatic and Liferay DXP with the rest of your shortlist in the CMS comparison tool.

Where they differ

Instatic and Liferay DXP get a different status on 12 of the 28 features and the same status on 16. Instatic has 15 built in on its baseline edition, Liferay DXP has 26. Two matching statuses can still name different paid tiers or limits, so read the notes in the table before treating a row as equal.

Licence
Instatic is open source (MIT). Liferay DXP is closed source (Proprietary, under the Liferay EULA. Free Tier activation key at no cost).
Vendor cloud
Instatic has no vendor-run cloud. Liferay DXP has a vendor-run cloud.

Built in on Liferay DXP, a different answer on Instatic 11

  • Content model in code Instatic: Not available. Liferay DXP: Built in.
  • Localization Instatic: Not available. Liferay DXP: Built in.
  • REST API Instatic: Limited. Liferay DXP: Built in.
  • GraphQL API Instatic: Not available. Liferay DXP: Built in.
  • Webhooks Instatic: Not available. Liferay DXP: Built in.
  • Approval workflows Instatic: Limited. Liferay DXP: Built in.
  • Content releases Instatic: Limited. Liferay DXP: Built in.
  • Single sign-on Instatic: Not available. Liferay DXP: Built in.
  • Multiple sites Instatic: Not available. Liferay DXP: Built in.
  • Plugin marketplace Instatic: Not available. Liferay DXP: Built in.
  • Site member accounts Instatic: Not available. Liferay DXP: Built in.

Built in on neither, with different answers 1

  • Real-time co-editing Instatic: Limited. Liferay DXP: Not available.

More comparisons

Instatic against other platforms

Liferay DXP against other platforms

Open the CMS comparison tool to put up to six platforms in one table.

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