Pricore vs Satis
Satis is Composer's built-in static repository generator. Pricore is a full private Composer registry with a dashboard, authentication, and webhooks.
TLDR
Satis generates static JSON files that Composer can read — it's not a registry. There's no dashboard, no authentication, no webhooks, and no Composer v2 API. Satis works for simple setups, but if your team needs access control, automatic updates, or a web interface, Pricore is the modern alternative.
Feature comparison
| Pricore | Satis | |
|---|---|---|
| Web dashboard | ||
| Composer v2 API | ||
| Token auth | ||
| Webhook auto-sync | ||
| Git-based mirroring | ||
| User management | ||
| Self-hosted | ||
| Open source | ||
| Static JSON output | ||
| Zero dependencies |
Static files vs a real registry
Satis generates static JSON files that you host on a web server. Every time you add or update a package, you need to re-run Satis to regenerate the files. Pricore is a running application — it responds to webhooks, updates automatically, and serves the Composer v2 API natively. No cron jobs, no manual rebuilds.
Authentication and access control
Satis has no built-in authentication. If you want to restrict access to your packages, you need to configure HTTP auth on your web server separately. Pricore provides token-based authentication out of the box, with per-user access tokens you can manage from the dashboard.
When Satis is enough
Satis is a good fit if you have a small number of packages, a single developer, and don't need access control or a dashboard. It's simple and has no runtime dependencies. But as soon as your team grows or you need features like webhooks, user management, or a web interface, Satis starts to feel limiting.
Upgrading from Satis
If you're outgrowing Satis, migrating to Pricore is straightforward. Add your repositories to Pricore, update your composer.json to point at your new Pricore instance, and you're done. Composer doesn't care whether the registry behind the URL is Satis or Pricore — it just works.
Ready to upgrade?
Get started with Pricore for free — self-host it or use the hosted version.