Omeka comes in two flavors, and we host both. They share the same goal of publishing collections and exhibits online, but they go about it a little differently. Here is a plain-language guide to choosing between them.
Omeka Classic
Omeka Classic is the original. It has been around since 2008 and powers thousands of digital exhibits.
Classic is a great fit when:
- You are building one site around one collection or exhibit.
- You want the simplest path from "box of scans" to "public website".
- You are following a course or tutorial, since most older teaching material was written for Classic.
Each Classic site is its own little world with its own items, collections, and exhibits. It uses plugins to add features and its theme catalog is mature and well tested.
Omeka S
Omeka S is the newer generation, built for institutions and bigger projects.
S shines when:
- You want to publish several sites that draw from one shared pool of items. Think of a library that runs separate exhibit sites for different departments, all pulling from the same catalog.
- Your metadata matters a lot. S is built around linked data standards, which makes your records more useful to other systems and researchers.
- You are starting fresh and want the platform with the most active development.
In Omeka S, items live in one shared resource pool, and you build any number of sites on top of them. Features come from modules rather than plugins, but the idea is the same.
Which one should you pick?
Here is the short version:
- One project, one exhibit, simplest tools: Omeka Classic
- Shared item pool, multiple sites, rich metadata: Omeka S
If you are still unsure, Omeka S is the safer long-term choice for most new projects, since it is where the Omeka team focuses new development.
A note about switching
There is no automatic way to convert a site from one platform to the other, since they store content differently. If you change your mind later, you would create a new site on the other platform and move your content into it. So it is worth a few minutes of thought up front.
The good news: you can run both. Each site on your account picks its own platform, so you are free to try one of each and see which feels right.