Compare
Avo vs Vault CMS
Short answer: Pick Avo if you want customizable Rails admin panels; pick Vault CMS if you want Obsidian-driven content for Astro. Avo has a free plan; Vault CMS is free and open source.
AvoAvo is a very custom Content Management System for Ruby on Rails
Vault CMSUse Obsidian as a CMS for your Astro websiteWhich to pick
Pick Avo if you want…
- Customizable Rails admin panels
- Rails-centric content management
- Integrations with Ruby on Rails, API + CLI + LLM Skill or MCP (on Avo's list, not Vault CMS's)
Pick Vault CMS if you want…
- Obsidian-driven content for Astro
- A free, open-source tool
- Integrations with Obsidian or Astro (on Vault CMS's list, not Avo's)
Side by side
- What it is
- Avo:Avo is a customizable admin panel and internal tool framework for Ruby on Rails apps.
- Vault CMS:Vault CMS is an open-source headless CMS that lets you use Obsidian as the content editor for Astro sites.
- Best for
- Avo:Customizable Rails admin panels
- Vault CMS:Obsidian-driven content for Astro
- Who it’s for
- Avo:Rails developers building internal admin interfaces and CRUD tools.
- Vault CMS:Developers building Astro websites who want a markdown-based editing experience.
- Pricing
- Avo:Freemium
- Vault CMS:Open source
- Starting price
- Avo:—
- Vault CMS:Free
- Free plan or trial
- Avo:Free plan (Free) · Free trial
- Vault CMS:Free to use
- Plans
- Avo:Free $0 · Essentials $75 per month per app · AI Bundle $139 per month per app · Growth $145 per month per app · Everything $249 per month per app
- Vault CMS:—
- Open source
- Avo:Yes, 1,803 GitHub stars
- Vault CMS:Yes
- Works with
- Avo:Ruby on Rails, API + CLI + LLM Skill, MCP, AI Chat
- Vault CMS:Obsidian, Astro
Avo features
- Permission-based UI. Define granular permissions that apply across the UI, API, and MCP.
- Audit Trail. All creates, updates, and deletes are recorded for instant change history.
- AI-assisted admin. AI chat and agents can query, edit, and run actions within user permissions.
- Reusable Resources. Short Ruby resource files replace generated controllers and views.
- Dynamic Forms & Fields. Build custom forms, reactive fields, and nested records without extra pages.
- Global Search & Select-All. Search across all records and perform bulk actions on entire queries.
- Extensible Add-ons. Add-ons like Kanban, Dashboards, Calendar view, and HTTP resources can be purchased per app.
- Multi-tenant & i18n Ready. Built-in support for multi-tenant data isolation and internationalization.
Vault CMS features
- One-click install. Run pnpm create vault-cms in an Astro project to scaffold the CMS.
- Auto theme detection. Detects any Astro theme and maps content types and frontmatter automatically.
- Preconfigured plugins. Includes hotkeys and settings optimized for Astro workflows.
- CMS-like homepage. Provides a homepage view inside Obsidian using Obsidian Bases.
- Instant publish option. Optional Git plugin enables instant publishing of changes.
Avo vs Vault CMS FAQ
What is the difference between Avo and Vault CMS?+
Avo is a custom CMS built for Ruby on Rails, whereas Vault CMS targets Astro and uses Obsidian.
Should I use Avo or Vault CMS?+
Pick Avo if you want customizable Rails admin panels, Rails-centric content management or integrations with Ruby on Rails, API + CLI + LLM Skill or MCP (on Avo's list, not Vault CMS's). Pick Vault CMS if you want Obsidian-driven content for Astro, a free, open-source tool or integrations with Obsidian or Astro (on Vault CMS's list, not Avo's).
Is Avo or Vault CMS free?+
Avo has a free plan and paid plans. Vault CMS is free and open source.
Is Avo or Vault CMS open source?+
Yes, both are open source: Avo (avo-hq/avo on GitHub) and Vault CMS (davidvkimball/vault-cms on GitHub).
Do Avo and Vault CMS integrate with the same tools?+
Their integration lists don't overlap: Avo lists Ruby on Rails, API + CLI + LLM Skill, MCP and AI Chat; Vault CMS lists Obsidian and Astro.
On DevHunt
Based on each tool's website and DevHunt data. Details may change; check the official sites.