MODX Revolution vs October CMS
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted content management systems options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | MODX Revolution | October CMS |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 80 · Excellent | 93 · Excellent |
| Category | Content Management Systems | Content Management Systems |
| License | GPL-2.0 | MIT |
| Language | PHP | PHP |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal, source | docker, bare-metal, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 1,411 | ★ 11,147 |
| First released | 2005 | 2014 |
| Replaces | WordPress, Drupal | WordPress, Wix |
What are MODX Revolution and October CMS?
MODX Revolution
MODX Revolution is an open-source content management system and web application framework that imposes no constraints on markup or design. It is used to build custom websites and applications.
- Complete design freedom
- Flexible templating
- Extensible with packages
- Granular permissions
October CMS
October CMS is a self-hosted content management system built on the Laravel framework, designed to make web development simple again. It uses flat-file templating with a clean backend for content editors.
- Built on Laravel
- Flat-file twig-style templating
- Plugin marketplace
- Clean developer experience
MODX Revolution vs October CMS: key differences
Both projects are written in PHP. Licensing differs — GPL-2.0 for MODX Revolution versus MIT for October CMS. MODX Revolution is the more established project (first released 2005), while October CMS arrived in 2014. October CMS has the considerably larger community, at 11,147 GitHub stars versus 1,411.
Why pick each one
Choose MODX Revolution if…
- No markup constraints
- Good for custom builds
Watch out for
- Steeper learning curve
- Smaller community
Choose October CMS if…
- Great for Laravel developers
- Simple, transparent architecture
Watch out for
- Some plugins are paid
- Less suited to non-developers
Frequently asked questions
Is MODX Revolution or October CMS better?
Neither is universally better. October CMS has the larger community; both share a medium setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are MODX Revolution and October CMS free and open-source?
Yes. MODX Revolution is licensed under GPL-2.0 and October CMS under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run MODX Revolution and October CMS with Docker?
MODX Revolution: yes. October CMS: yes.