MODX Revolution vs ProcessWire
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 | ProcessWire |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 80 · Excellent | 79 · Good |
| Category | Content Management Systems | Content Management Systems |
| License | GPL-2.0 | MPL-2.0 |
| Language | PHP | PHP |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal, source | docker, bare-metal, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 1,411 | ★ 1,153 |
| First released | 2005 | 2010 |
| Replaces | WordPress, Drupal | WordPress, Drupal |
What are MODX Revolution and ProcessWire?
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
ProcessWire
ProcessWire is an open-source CMS and framework that gives developers a powerful, jQuery-inspired API for working with content. It is known for flexible content modeling and clean front-end markup.
- Powerful content API
- Flexible field-based modeling
- Clean front-end output
- Module ecosystem
MODX Revolution vs ProcessWire: key differences
Both projects are written in PHP. Licensing differs — GPL-2.0 for MODX Revolution versus MPL-2.0 for ProcessWire. ProcessWire is the lighter option, starting around 256 MB of RAM against 512 MB for MODX Revolution. MODX Revolution is the more established project (first released 2005), while ProcessWire arrived in 2010.
Why pick each one
Choose MODX Revolution if…
- No markup constraints
- Good for custom builds
Watch out for
- Steeper learning curve
- Smaller community
Choose ProcessWire if…
- Excellent developer API
- Highly flexible
Watch out for
- Less polished for non-developers
- Smaller community
Frequently asked questions
Is MODX Revolution or ProcessWire better?
Neither is universally better. MODX Revolution has the larger community; both share a medium setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are MODX Revolution and ProcessWire free and open-source?
Yes. MODX Revolution is licensed under GPL-2.0 and ProcessWire under MPL-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run MODX Revolution and ProcessWire with Docker?
MODX Revolution: yes. ProcessWire: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, MODX Revolution or ProcessWire?
ProcessWire has the smaller minimum footprint at 256 MB of RAM, compared to about 512 MB for MODX Revolution. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.