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Head-to-head · Template Engine Software

Apache FreeMarker vs Smarty

  • Updated Oct 2026
  • Both researched from official sources
  • 4 checks side by side
Higher score Apache FreeMarker #5 in Template Engine Software 9.0/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 1 of 4 features Visit site
Smarty #8 in Template Engine Software 8.7/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 2 of 4 features Visit Smarty

Apache FreeMarker leads on 1 check, Smarty on 0, and 3 are even. Who comes out ahead on the 4 yes/no, price and count checks where we have data for both products. The editor score weighs everything else too.

Our verdict

  • Highest scoreApache FreeMarker · 9.0/10
  • Free planboth
  • Most featuresSmarty · 2 of 4

Apache FreeMarker scores higher on our rubric for template engine software: 9.0 against 8.7 out of 10; our editors rank them #5 and #8.

Apache FreeMarker offers automatic escaping; Smarty doesn't.

Apache FreeMarker is the better fit for java projects generating varied text formats. Smarty is the better fit for PHP teams separating presentation from application logic.

  • Apache FreeMarker fits best

    Java projects generating varied text formats

  • Smarty fits best

    PHP teams separating presentation from application logic

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Side by side

Feature Apache FreeMarker 9.0/10 Visit ↗ Smarty 8.7/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score 9.0 8.7
Ranking #5 in Template Engine Software #8 in Template Engine Software
Best for Java projects generating varied text formats PHP teams separating presentation from application logic
Pricing model Free Free
Starting price Free plan Free plan
Free plan ✓ ✓
Free trial — —
Deployment Self-hosted Self-hosted
Support Community, Docs Community
Built for Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise
Features Apache FreeMarker 1/4 · Smarty 2/4
Template inheritance Not checked yet ✓ (best)
Automatic escaping ✓ (best) —
Sandbox mode Not checked yet ✓ (best)
Async rendering Not checked yet Not checked yet
Specs
Rendering mode Server Server
Syntax model Logic-based Logic-based
License model Open-source Open-source
Our review
Pros
  • Generates HTML, email, configuration files, and source code
  • Configurable loaders and cached parsed templates support repeated rendering
  • Locale-sensitive formatting and configurable output-format escaping
  • Compiles templates to PHP scripts and recompiles when files change
  • Template inheritance lets child templates fill parent blocks
  • Built-in caching plus custom functions and variable modifiers
Cons
  • Designed for Java applications and self-hosted deployment
  • Automatic escaping depends on configured output formats
  • Uploaded templates require security configuration and code-level trust
  • HTML escaping is optional rather than enabled by default
  • Self-hosted deployment requires a PHP application
  • Support is community-based
Our verdict

Apache FreeMarker is an open-source Java library that turns FreeMarker Template Language (FTL) templates and application data models into text output. It fits teams building Java applications that need to generate HTML pages, emails,…

Read the review →

Smarty is an open-source PHP template engine for teams that want presentation handled separately from application logic. PHP applications pass content and variables into templates, where tags format and render them. That arrangement can…

Read the review →
  1. Apache FreeMarkerTemplate Engine Software 9.0Free plan
  2. SmartyTemplate Engine Software 8.7Free plan

Strengths and trade-offs

  • Apache FreeMarker — where it wins

    • Generates HTML, email, configuration files, and source code
    • Configurable loaders and cached parsed templates support repeated rendering
    • Locale-sensitive formatting and configurable output-format escaping

    Where it doesn't

    • Designed for Java applications and self-hosted deployment
    • Automatic escaping depends on configured output formats
    • Uploaded templates require security configuration and code-level trust

  • Smarty — where it wins

    • Compiles templates to PHP scripts and recompiles when files change
    • Template inheritance lets child templates fill parent blocks
    • Built-in caching plus custom functions and variable modifiers

    Where it doesn't

    • HTML escaping is optional rather than enabled by default
    • Self-hosted deployment requires a PHP application
    • Support is community-based
  • Apache FreeMarker9.0/10 · Free plan

    An open-source Java library for producing varied text formats from FTL templates.

    Visit siteFull verdict →
  • Smarty8.7/10 · Free plan

    Smarty separates PHP views from application logic and compiles templates for reuse.

    Visit SmartyFull verdict →

More comparisons

All template engine software comparisons → · Full ranking →

Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026

Last updated · How we research and update