Free Open Source CMS Software

Traditional CMS Platforms

Traditional or monolithic CMS platforms combine content management, templating, and page rendering into a single application. These are the most straightforward CMS platforms to set up and use, particularly for teams that want to build a website without maintaining separate front-end and back-end infrastructure.

WordPress

WordPress is the most widely used CMS in the world, powering over 43% of all websites. Licensed under the GPL, WordPress is free to download, modify, and redistribute. It runs on PHP and MySQL/MariaDB and is compatible with virtually every web hosting provider. The ecosystem includes over 60,000 free plugins and thousands of free themes in the official directories. WordPress handles everything from simple blogs to complex e-commerce sites (with WooCommerce), membership platforms, and learning management systems.

Drupal

Drupal is an enterprise-grade CMS licensed under the GPL. It excels at managing complex content architectures with custom content types, fine-grained access control, and multilingual support built into the core. Drupal uses PHP and supports MySQL, MariaDB, PostgreSQL, and SQLite. The contributed module ecosystem includes thousands of free modules for extending functionality. Drupal is the CMS of choice for many government agencies, universities, and large organizations that need robust content governance.

Joomla

Joomla is a GPL-licensed CMS that provides more built-in features than WordPress, including native multilingual content management, access control levels, and content categorization. Built on PHP with MySQL/MariaDB or PostgreSQL support, Joomla has a dedicated community and a library of free extensions for e-commerce, forums, event management, and social networking. It is well suited for community portals, small business sites, and membership-driven projects.

TYPO3

TYPO3 is a GPL-licensed enterprise CMS with particular strength in European markets. It handles multi-site installations, complex content workflows with staging and approval, and large-scale multilingual projects. TYPO3 runs on PHP and supports MySQL, MariaDB, and PostgreSQL. The platform requires significant technical expertise to deploy and manage, but for organizations that need centralized governance across dozens of websites, TYPO3 provides tools that other CMS platforms lack.

Backdrop CMS

Backdrop CMS is a fork of Drupal 7, designed for small to medium organizations that found Drupal 8 and later too complex for their needs. Licensed under the GPL, Backdrop preserves Drupal 7's familiar architecture while adding modern features like configuration management, responsive design, and an improved user interface. It runs on PHP and MySQL/MariaDB and is a good choice for organizations migrating from Drupal 7 who want a simpler path than upgrading to Drupal 10 or 11.

Headless CMS Platforms

Headless CMS platforms store and manage content, then deliver it through APIs for consumption by any front-end application. These platforms are free to self-host, though some offer optional paid cloud hosting tiers.

Strapi

Strapi is the most popular open source headless CMS, released under an MIT-style license. It provides a visual content-type builder, automatic REST and GraphQL API generation, and a polished admin panel for content editors. Strapi runs on Node.js and supports SQLite, PostgreSQL, MySQL, and MariaDB. Self-hosting is completely free. Strapi Cloud is available as a paid option for teams that prefer managed hosting.

Payload CMS

Payload CMS is an MIT-licensed headless CMS built in TypeScript. It takes a code-first approach to content modeling, with collections and fields defined in configuration files. Payload includes built-in authentication, localization, versioning, and deep Next.js integration. It supports MongoDB and PostgreSQL and is free to self-host. Payload Cloud offers managed hosting as a paid service.

Directus

Directus wraps any SQL database with an instant REST and GraphQL API and a visual admin panel. Licensed under a BSL that converts to the GPLv3, Directus is free for self-hosting. It supports PostgreSQL, MySQL, MariaDB, SQLite, Microsoft SQL Server, OracleDB, and CockroachDB. Directus is particularly useful for projects where the database already exists or serves multiple applications beyond content management.

Ghost

Ghost is an MIT-licensed publishing platform built on Node.js. While primarily designed for blogging and newsletter publishing, Ghost functions as a capable headless CMS through its Content API. Ghost includes native membership management, email newsletter functionality, and audience analytics. Self-hosting is free, while Ghost(Pro) offers managed hosting as a paid service.

Decap CMS

Decap CMS (formerly Netlify CMS) is an MIT-licensed Git-based headless CMS. It provides a visual editing interface that commits content changes directly to a Git repository, making it ideal for use with static site generators. Decap runs entirely in the browser and requires no server-side components beyond a Git hosting service like GitHub, GitLab, or Bitbucket.

Flat-File CMS Platforms

Flat-file CMS platforms store content as files on disk rather than in a database. This simplifies deployment and makes version control of content straightforward, since content files can be committed directly to Git.

Grav

Grav is an MIT-licensed flat-file CMS built on PHP. Content is stored as Markdown files, configuration uses YAML, and templates use the Twig engine. Grav requires no database, making installation as simple as extracting files to a web server. The platform includes a plugin system, theme engine, and an optional admin panel. It is well suited for documentation sites, personal blogs, and small business websites.

Pico

Pico is a GPL-licensed micro CMS that is even simpler than Grav. It has no admin panel, no database, and minimal configuration. Content is written in Markdown, and Twig templates control the presentation. Pico is designed for developers who want to build simple, fast websites without any CMS overhead. The entire application is under 50 files.

WonderCMS

WonderCMS describes itself as the smallest flat-file CMS, with a core under 50 KB. It is MIT-licensed, requires only PHP to run, and stores all content in a single JSON file. WonderCMS includes a built-in editor and supports themes and plugins. It is ideal for personal websites, small portfolios, and situations where absolute simplicity is the priority.

Specialized CMS Platforms

Wagtail

Wagtail is a BSD-licensed CMS built on Django (Python). It provides a polished admin interface with tree-based page management, StreamField for flexible content layouts, and strong support for image management and document handling. Wagtail is the leading CMS for Python development teams and is used by organizations including Google, NASA, and the British NHS.

October CMS

October CMS is a CMS built on the Laravel PHP framework, licensed under an MIT-compatible license for self-hosted use. It provides a clean admin panel, a marketplace of plugins, and a component-based architecture that Laravel developers will find familiar. October CMS is a good choice for Laravel teams that want CMS functionality without leaving the framework ecosystem.

Concrete CMS

Concrete CMS (formerly concrete5) is an MIT-licensed CMS with strong in-context editing capabilities. Content editors can edit text, images, and layout blocks directly on the page rather than in a separate admin interface. Concrete CMS runs on PHP and MySQL and includes built-in features for forms, file management, user management, and workflow approval. It is popular for marketing websites and content-heavy organizations.

Understanding Free vs. Paid Tiers

All the CMS platforms listed above are free to download and self-host. However, many offer paid tiers that include managed cloud hosting, priority support, additional features, or premium plugins. The distinction matters: the core software is free, but the convenience of managed infrastructure is a paid service.

For organizations with technical staff, self-hosting eliminates recurring software costs entirely. The only expenses are server hosting (as low as a few dollars per month for small sites), domain registration, and optional premium themes or plugins. For organizations without technical staff, managed hosting from the CMS vendor or a specialized hosting provider may be worth the monthly cost for reduced maintenance burden.