SHSelfHostIndex

MODX Revolution vs Piranha CMS

A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted content management systems options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.

Not the right match-up?
MO MODX Revolution CMS and application framework with creative freedom VS PI Piranha CMS Lightweight, cross-platform CMS for ASP.NET Core
FeatureMODX RevolutionPiranha CMS
Deploy effortUnder-an-hour setupUnder-an-hour setup
Health score80 · Excellent84 · Excellent
CategoryContent Management SystemsContent Management Systems
LicenseGPL-2.0MIT
LanguagePHPC#
Setup difficultyMediumMedium
Min. RAM512 MB512 MB
Deploymentdocker, bare-metal, sourcedocker, bare-metal, source
GitHub stars★ 1,411★ 2,196
First released20052011
ReplacesWordPress, DrupalWordPress, Umbraco

What are MODX Revolution and Piranha 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

Read the full MODX Revolution guide →

Piranha CMS

Piranha CMS is a lightweight, cross-platform content management system built for ASP.NET Core. It is designed to be embeddable in existing applications or run as a standalone CMS.

  • Cross-platform on .NET Core
  • Block-based content
  • Embeddable in apps
  • Lightweight design

Read the full Piranha CMS guide →

MODX Revolution vs Piranha CMS: key differences

MODX Revolution is written in PHP, while Piranha CMS is built with C#. Licensing differs — GPL-2.0 for MODX Revolution versus MIT for Piranha CMS. MODX Revolution is the more established project (first released 2005), while Piranha CMS arrived in 2011.

Why pick each one

Choose MODX Revolution if…

  • No markup constraints
  • Good for custom builds

Watch out for

  • Steeper learning curve
  • Smaller community
MODX Revolution details

Choose Piranha CMS if…

  • Easy to embed in projects
  • Modern and lightweight

Watch out for

  • Smaller feature set
  • Limited theme ecosystem
Piranha CMS details

Frequently asked questions

Is MODX Revolution or Piranha CMS better?

Neither is universally better. Piranha CMS has the larger community; both share a medium setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.

Are MODX Revolution and Piranha CMS free and open-source?

Yes. MODX Revolution is licensed under GPL-2.0 and Piranha CMS under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.

Can I run MODX Revolution and Piranha CMS with Docker?

MODX Revolution: yes. Piranha CMS: yes.

Related comparisons