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MODX Revolution vs Winter 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 WI Winter CMS Laravel-based CMS focused on simplicity and stability
FeatureMODX RevolutionWinter CMS
Deploy effortUnder-an-hour setupUnder-an-hour setup
Health score80 · Excellent84 · Excellent
CategoryContent Management SystemsContent Management Systems
LicenseGPL-2.0MIT
LanguagePHPPHP
Setup difficultyMediumMedium
Min. RAM512 MB512 MB
Deploymentdocker, bare-metal, sourcedocker, bare-metal
GitHub stars★ 1,411★ 1,520
First released20052021
ReplacesWordPress, DrupalWordPress

What are MODX Revolution and Winter 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 →

Winter CMS

Winter CMS is a free, open-source content management system based on the Laravel framework, created as a community-driven fork of October CMS. It offers a clean backend, a plugin marketplace, and developer-friendly tooling.

  • Laravel foundation
  • Plugin marketplace
  • Clean admin backend
  • Developer tooling

MODX Revolution vs Winter CMS: key differences

Both projects are written in PHP. Licensing differs — GPL-2.0 for MODX Revolution versus MIT for Winter CMS. MODX Revolution is the more established project (first released 2005), while Winter CMS arrived in 2021.

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 Winter CMS if…

  • Released under the MIT license
  • First-class Docker support for quick deployment
  • Active community (1.5k GitHub stars)
  • Written in PHP

Watch out for

  • Requires PHP knowledge
  • Smaller plugin catalog
Winter CMS details

Frequently asked questions

Is MODX Revolution or Winter CMS better?

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

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

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

Can I run MODX Revolution and Winter CMS with Docker?

MODX Revolution: yes. Winter CMS: yes.

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