Docsify
Content Management SystemsDocumentation site generator
Replaces GitBook
Best Free Content Management Systems for self-hosting
The 59 best Free content management systems you can self-host, ranked by community traction.
Tina CMS
Content Management SystemsGit-backed content management with visual editing
Replaces Contentful, Sanity
Mezzanine
Content Management SystemsLightweight content management framework for Django
Replaces WordPress
Pico
Content Management SystemsStupidly simple flat-file CMS
Replaces WordPress
Pimcore
Content Management SystemsMulti-channel experience and engagement management platform
Microweber
Content Management SystemsDrag-and-drop CMS with built-in online store
Replaces WordPress, Wix
Squidex
Content Management SystemsHeadless CMS, based on MongoDB, CQRS and Event Sourcing
Keystatic
Content Management SystemsGit-based CMS for Markdown and structured content
Replaces Contentful, Netlify CMS
PublicCMS
Content Management SystemsHigh-performance Java content management system
Replaces WordPress
Publify
Content Management SystemsSimple but full featured web publishing software
Winter CMS
Content Management SystemsLaravel-based CMS focused on simplicity and stability
Replaces WordPress
Vvveb
Content Management SystemsCMS to build websites, blogs or ecommerce stores
Fork CMS
Content Management SystemsUser-friendly CMS aimed at content editors
Replaces WordPress
Backdrop CMS
Content Management SystemsComprehensive CMS forked from Drupal for smaller sites
Replaces WordPress, Drupal
OJS
Content Management SystemsSoftware to manage scholarly journals
Cowyo
Content Management SystemsFeature-rich wiki webserver for minimalists
Automad
Content Management SystemsFlat-file CMS and template engine in one
Replaces WordPress
ClassicPress
Content Management SystemsCommunity-led WordPress fork without the block editor
Replaces WordPress
Superdesk
Content Management SystemsEnd-to-end news creation, production, curation, distribution
Cockpit Next
Content Management SystemsHeadless content platform for any front end
Replaces Contentful, Strapi
WonderCMS
Content Management SystemsTiny flat-file CMS that is one of the smallest available
Replaces WordPress
Wiki-Go
Content Management SystemsDatabaseless flat-file wiki platform
Replaces GitBook, Notion
Typemill
Content Management SystemsAuthor-friendly flat-file-cms with a visual markdown editor based
Bolt
Content Management SystemsLightweight and simple CMS built on Symfony
Replaces WordPress, Contentful
Omeka
Content Management SystemsCreate complex narratives and share rich collections, adhering
WikiDocs
Content Management SystemsDatabaseless markdown flat-file wiki engine
Replaces GitBook, Notion
Omeka S
Content Management SystemsWeb publication system for universities, galleries, libraries,
ImpressPages
Content Management SystemsPHP CMS with inline drag-and-drop page editing
Replaces WordPress, Wix
Datenstrom Yellow
Content Management SystemsFlat-file CMS for small websites that you control
Replaces WordPress
Expressa
Content Management SystemsContent Management System for powering database driven websites using
GetSimple CMS
Content Management SystemsXML-based flat-file CMS for small websites
Replaces WordPress
Monstra
Content Management SystemsLightweight flat-file CMS that needs no database
Replaces WordPress
CouchCMS
Content Management SystemsCMS that adds editable regions to plain HTML sites
Replaces WordPress
Indexhibit
Content Management SystemsArchetypal portfolio CMS for everybody
REDAXO
Content Management SystemsSimple, flexible and useful content management system (documentation
Subrion CMS
Content Management SystemsOpen-source PHP content management system
Replaces WordPress, Joomla
Razuna
Content Management SystemsDigital asset management and content hub
Replaces Bynder
Pytition
Content Management SystemsHost privacy-friendly online petitions
Replaces Avaaz, Change
Formwork
Content Management SystemsFlat-file CMS for personal sites and blogs
Replaces WordPress, Ghost
Localess
Content Management SystemsPowerful translation management and content management system
Noosfero
Content Management SystemsPlatform for social and solidarity economy networks with blog,
WBCE CMS
Content Management SystemsCommunity-driven PHP CMS forked from WebsiteBaker
Replaces WordPress
PHPBoost
Content Management SystemsContent management system (CMS)
Sphido
Content Management SystemsFlat-file CMS that builds simple websites from folders
Replaces WordPress
299Ko
Content Management SystemsSimple, fast & lightweight flat-file CMS
CMS Made Simple
Content Management SystemsFlexible CMS for small and medium business sites
Replaces WordPress, Joomla
Scovie
Content Management SystemsDigital signage system for high schools
Pepettes
Content Management SystemsSimple donation form with stripe
Lionwiki
Content Management SystemsLightweight wiki-style CMS using the txt2tags syntax
FastAPI
Content Management SystemsCustom Web app to run a FastAPI program written in Python
Gemserv
Content Management SystemsGemini server
DotClear 2
Content Management SystemsBlog publishing application
Faircamp
Content Management SystemsA static site generator for audio artists and producers
my_capsule
Content Management SystemsCustom Gemini capsule with SFTP access and HtmGem
Petites Annonces
Content Management SystemsMake your own classified advertising website easily
PureBlog
Content Management SystemsBlogging platform, designed for personal use
Replaces Blogger, Blogspot
SPIP
Content Management SystemsCMS with a focus on collaborative edition and multilingualism
Replaces Blogger, Coldfusion
ZwiiCMS
Content Management SystemsSimple, lightweight, database-free, scalable and responsive CMS
Neos
Content Management SystemsNeos or TYPO3 Neos (for version 1) is a modern, open source CMS
No apps match these filters.
At a glance
| App | Deploy effort | Difficulty | Min. RAM | License | ★ Stars |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Docsify | Read-the-docs project | Medium | 50 MB | MIT | 31,545 |
| Tina CMS | Under-an-hour setup | Medium | 512 MB | Apache-2.0 | 13,834 |
| Mezzanine | Under-an-hour setup | Medium | 512 MB | BSD-2-Clause | 4,813 |
| Pico | Under-an-hour setup | Easy | 128 MB | MIT | 3,901 |
| Pimcore | Under-an-hour setup | Medium | 512 MB | GPL-3.0 | 3,878 |
| Microweber | Under-an-hour setup | Medium | 512 MB | MIT | 3,437 |
| Squidex | Read-the-docs project | Medium | 512 MB | MIT | 2,508 |
| Keystatic | Under-an-hour setup | Medium | 256 MB | MIT | 2,453 |
| PublicCMS | Read-the-docs project | Hard | 1,024 MB | Apache-2.0 | 2,093 |
| Publify | Read-the-docs project | Medium | 512 MB | MIT | 1,855 |
Quick picks
- Most adopted: Docsify (31,545 GitHub stars).
- Lightest footprint: Docsify (from 50 MB RAM, against 1,024 MB for the heaviest here).
- Fastest to deploy: ClassicPress (one-click platform packages).
- Licensing: 23 of 59 use MIT; check the rest individually if you plan to modify and redistribute.
Every option here is open-source and self-hostable, tagged Free within the content management systems category. Deploy effort is graded from published container recipes, not vendor claims — see the methodology.