15 Best Open Source CMS Software for 2025

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Open-source content management systems thoroughly change how websites are designed and managed based on flexibility, cost, and customization. There are hundreds of platforms; business developers and individual users might take CMS software according to particular needs-from a small blog to a complex application at the enterprise level. All platforms are free and pass access, modification, and distribution rights to their source code to their users. 

This article will outline 15 of the top open-source CMS software options. It will provide an overview of all the features, benefits, and unique functionalities these platforms offer. From beginner-friendly, easy-to-use systems to complex, powerful platforms, there’s something for everyone in this list that helps them create, manage, and scale their web presence effectively.

What is Open Source CMS?

An open-source content management system lets users build and handle digital content on websites through an easy-to-use platform with no need for special technical skills. People can get access to all source code parts since open source makes the software available to users without restrictions. Users can make changes and share the product in any way they want.  

The CMS software exists primarily through active community upkeep and update assistance. The top free CMS systems today are WordPress, Joomla, and Drupal.  

CMS developers like open-source products for their adjustable nature and price benefits that help them create personal sites and big business web applications without spending too much money.

Benefits of Using an Open Source CMS

Here are the key benefits of using an Open Source Content Management System (CMS):  

1. Cost-Effectiveness: When you use free open-source CMS you can eliminate expenses related to software buying rights. Users must pay only for their web hosting service plus customizations or premium plugins when they need them.  

2. Flexibility and Customization: Through open access to source code developers make the CMS platform adapt perfectly to each project requirement.  

3. Community Support: When active communities carry out their work they offer new updates and plugins alongside theme packages and troubleshooting tools to enhance CMS performance.  

4. Wide Range of Features: Open-source CMS platforms include many tools that let developers expand website features and design layouts.  

5. Scalability: These platforms adapt to your website growth and support operations from small blogs to large-scale enterprise sites.  

6. SEO and Marketing-Friendly: Open-source CMS systems include SEO tools out of the box while offering plugins that help websites get found online.  

7. Multilingual Support: Open-source CMS solutions feature multilingual features that help you reach diverse global users.  

8. Security: Periodic community updates maintain strong security features to prevent online attacks on websites.  

9. Ownership and Control: You decide all parts of your website including where you host it.  

10. Integration-Friendly: When you use open-source CMS platforms you can connect them smoothly with external applications through APIs and third-party modules.

Emerging Open Source CMS Tools in 2025

Various new open-source Content Management Systems (CMS) start attracting developers and businesses beginning in January 2025. Here are some notable platforms:

  • Strapi: The open-source headless CMS Strapi enables complete user customization so developers can fully customize content management and creation experiences. 
  • Hygraph: Hygraph stands out as the top content management system for developers of 2025 thanks to its modern platform that priory developers and gives them full customization options. 
  • Optimizely: Optimizely lets users control content through an easy-to-use hybrid system that exports content to multiple delivery channels. 
  • Prismic: Through its headless system, Prismic is used to create content management solutions that work smoothly with different technologies. 
  • Builder: The enterprise market ranks Builder as a top 2025 platform for its scalable headless CMS solution. 

These platforms suit modern web development because they adapt to different projects and grow with businesses while being easy for developers to work with.

Top 15 Open Source CMS Software

1. WordPress

Open Source CMS Software
Open Source CMS Software

WordPress serves as a widely used open-source software to control website content with an easy-to-navigate system. WordPress started as a blogging service yet enables users to build every website style from online shops to professional displays. Users can transform their sites based on the huge collection of plugins and themes yet keep basic coding skills. 

WordPress provides basic SEO tools plus visual design options and media elements that both new and experienced users select as their website platform. Its active user community makes regular system enhancements happen. WordPress makes good use of PHP and MySQL technologies to deliver scalability across small blogs and big website needs.

Features:

  • Extensive theme library
  • Plugin Marketplace
  • SEO-friendly
  • Easy content management

Pros:

  • Beginner-friendly
  • Large community support

Cons:

  • Security vulnerabilities due to third-party plugins
  • Requires frequent updates

Website: wordpress.org

2. Joomla

Open Source CMS Software
Open Source CMS Software

Joomla helps you build effective websites by blending intuitive navigation with flexible professional tools. Businesses and app creators find Joomla perfect because they can customize their projects using their available extensions and styles. The system handles multiple languages to serve international users at the same time as it gives complex organizations better control over their users. 

Joomla lets you create multiple content types while building design layouts that scale across devices and help you optimize web searching. Developers who need more control than basic CMS systems will appreciate Joomla’s power with its robust community support.

Features:

  • Multilingual support
  • Advanced user management
  • Extensions marketplace
  • Built-in caching

Pros:

  • Great for complex sites
  • Strong developer community

Cons:

  • Steeper learning curve
  • Limited plugins compared to WordPress

Website: joomla.org

3. Drupal

Open Source CMS Software
Open Source CMS Software

Drupal offers an open-source CMS that safeguards and handles large amounts of information for challenging online projects. Skilled developers choose Drupal because of its adaptability for websites in public administration education and business settings. Because of its modular design users can build unique content models and processing steps in Drupal. 

The system helps different languages and has specialized user permissions plus strong performance to handle heavy website traffic. New users will face a longer learning process with this system but these challenges become easier because its active community offers complete info and support. Drupal has become the top pick for groups that need extensive tailoring and rock-solid website protection.

Features:

  • Customizable content types
  • Advanced taxonomy system
  • Multilingual support
  • Enterprise-grade security

Pros:

  • Highly scalable
  • Excellent for complex sites

Cons:

  • Not beginner-friendly
  • Requires technical expertise

Website: drupal.org

4. TYPO3

Open Source CMS Software
Open Source CMS Software

TYPO3 provides enterprises with an advanced open-source CMS platform specifically designed for their websites. The platform easily manages websites with many language options and lots of content. A developer can design unique solutions through TYPO3’s module system which works together with tools that help users manage content permissions and update processes. 

The system grows with your organization because of its scaling options. TYPO3 stands out because of its rock-solid stability plus top security features the community supports actively. Despite being harder to learn TYPO3 offers advanced web projects valuable features for reliable platforms.

Features:

  • Flexible templating system
  • Multisite support
  • Advanced user permissions
  • Extensible through extensions

Pros:

  • Ideal for large projects
  • Strong focus on security

Cons:

  • Complex for beginners
  • Limited developer community

Website: typo3.org

5. Magento Open Source

Open Source CMS Software
Open Source CMS Software

Through its CMS capabilities Magento Open Source helps businesses create functional online stores with advanced features. It provides complete product control plus payment and order management tools. Developers can adapt Magento’s design structure because its programming approach permits flexible adjustments. 

This platform serves international markets because it lets users work with multiple languages and currencies. The platform offers many extensions that boost how your online store works. Having basic technical knowledge helps you use Magento but businesses prefer it because of its flexible features and scalability options.

Features:

  • Customizable product catalog
  • Advanced inventory management
  • Multilingual support
  • Flexible payment integrations

Pros:

  • Rich e-commerce features
  • Scalable for growing businesses

Cons:

  • High resource requirements
  • Complex setup

Website: magento.com

6. Ghost

Open Source CMS Software
Open Source CMS Software

Ghost represents an open-source publishing system made to serve bloggers and content creators. Users can work quickly through its basic design which provides a user-friendly experience for content creators. Running on the Node.js platform, Ghost works quickly and includes search engine optimization capabilities by default. 

The program serves writers and publishers perfectly because it includes membership features plus a Markdown text editor. Ghost allows users to build custom interfaces while integrating external tools and programmable applications. Its basic design lacks full CMS platform capabilities but its simple structure helps content producers find the right tool for their work.

Features:

  • Built-in SEO tools
  • Membership and subscription support
  • Lightweight and fast
  • Markdown-based editor

Pros:

  • Great for bloggers
  • Clean, modern design

Cons:

  • Limited for non-blogging purposes
  • Smaller community

Website: ghost.org

7. Concrete CMS

Open Source CMS Software
Open Source CMS Software

Concrete CMS lets users modify content right on their pages with its simple open-source platform. Can help you build websites that display new content easily thanks to its personalized templates and extra design tools. Concrete CMS helps websites rank better online and gives people easy ways to build content while following their chosen projects for work or charity. 

Non-tech users can make websites easier through this system that lets them simply move content blocks. People like working with Concrete CMS because its popular platform updates easily and helps small to medium websites run well.

Features:

  • Drag-and-drop editor
  • Inline editing
  • Built-in SEO tools
  • Version control

Pros:

  • Easy for beginners
  • Strong focus on UX

Cons:

  • Limited extensions
  • Not ideal for complex sites

Website: concretecms.com

8. OpenCart

Open Source CMS Software
Open Source CMS Software

OpenCart helps users create and handle online stores without coding because it offers this e-commerce platform free of charge. It provides customers with a simple control panel and powerful reporting features plus unlimited store use. OpenCart helps manage multiple payment options together with shipping and product control features.

The system provides many extensions that help users add new functions to their online stores. OpenCart delivers website optimization and multiple language options alongside its robust system to help businesses achieve worldwide growth. An easy setup lets small to medium e-retailers handle their store but advanced customization needs technical skills.

Features:

  • Multiple payment gateways
  • Multi-store support
  • Product review and rating system
  • SEO-friendly

Pros:

  • Lightweight and fast
  • Easy to set up

Cons:

  • Limited customization options
  • Requires extensions for advanced features

Website: opencart.com

9. PrestaShop

Open Source CMS Software
Open Source CMS Software

PrestaShop offers businesses a free eCommerce system to create online stores equipped with advanced features. It includes an easy-to-use design system and multiple style choices to use plus many add-ons to improve operation. PrestaShop works with numerous payment gateways plus lets you handle sales in any language or currency so global businesses can use it easily. Its SEO tools work well with mobile compatibility to benefit shoppers who access the site through any device.

The PrestaShop platform becomes usable for all businesses due to its many committed users and professional assistance channels. Progressive customization needs coding knowledge yet PrestaShop excels in both scalability and comprehensive features which attract expanding e-commerce companies.

Features:

  • Customizable storefront
  • Multilingual support
  • Product and inventory management
  • SEO-friendly

Pros:

  • Rich e-commerce tools
  • Active community

Cons:

  • Performance issues in large stores
  • Limited scalability

Website: prestashop.com

10. Umbraco

Open Source CMS Software
Open Source CMS Software

Umbraco operates as an adaptable free CMS constructed on Microsoft’s .NET system. People from different development backgrounds and users without technical training can work easily with this system. Umbraco delivers an easy-to-use editing system combined with strong development tools to produce websites and apps plus internal sites. 

It handles multiple language content while enhancing website visibility through SEO technology and customizable work processes to meet enterprise and agency needs. The Umbraco platform supports businesses with a helpful community and expert support while keeping digital development simple and effective.

Features:

  • Intuitive editing tools
  • Multilingual support
  • Extensible with packages
  • Built-in media library

Pros:

  • Excellent developer support
  • Highly customizable

Cons:

  • Requires .NET hosting
  • Limited plugins compared to others

Website: umbraco.com

11. SilverStripe

Open Source CMS Software
Open Source CMS Software

SilverStripe stands out as an open source CMS delivering developer-friendly options and flexible features to modern projects. Users can easily control their content through our simple design and create complex applications with our development platform. SilverStripe helps you create responsive websites that work on any device while making content easier for search engines to find and letting you serve customers in different languages. 

The system lets programmers design precise solutions directly for client requirements. Organizations seeking a balanced CMS will find SilverStripe effective because its community support and detailed documentation help develop custom projects with advanced features.

Features:

  • MVC architecture
  • Customizable templates
  • Built-in asset management
  • Strong developer tools

Pros:

  • Clean, intuitive interface
  • Flexible for developers

Cons:

  • Limited plugins
  • Small community

Website: silverstripe.org

12. MODX

Open Source CMS Software
Open Source CMS Software

The open-source CMS MODX features an easy-to-use control panel plus customizable abilities for developers. Developers use MODX to make websites and applications because it provides complete creative flexibility. MODX helps websites perform better for search engines while adapting to different screen sizes and includes protection against cyber threats. 

Its broad application range enables the development of easy websites and powerful enterprise solutions. The MODX platform helps businesses gain website control through add-on features and connects them to a bustling community of users.

Features:

  • Customizable templating
  • Built-in caching
  • SEO-friendly
  • Role-based permissions

Pros:

  • Highly customizable
  • Developer-friendly

Cons:

  • Limited community support
  • Steep learning curve

Website: modx.com

13. Grav

Open Source CMS Software
Open Source CMS Software

Grav is an open-source CMS made for fast simple use with no database requirements. It works through simple flat files instead of a regular database to make setup and upkeep easier to handle. The Grav platform includes simple controls in its admin section alongside adaptable content setup and design customization options. 

Grav offers developers and content creators a quick reliable platform to create blog portfolios and small websites. Users who need easy setup and fast performance benefit from Grav as its supportive documentation makes its straightforward tools accessible to all.

Features:

  • Flat-file architecture
  • Modular design
  • Built-in caching
  • Multilingual support

Pros:

  • Lightweight and fast
  • No database required

Cons:

  • Limited for complex sites
  • Smaller community

Website: getgrav.org

14. Microweber

Open Source CMS Software
Open Source CMS Software

Microweber uses open-source technology to create websites through drag-and-drop editing and a clear what-you-see-is-what-you-get content creation tool. This product guides users who lack technical knowledge to build blogs, online stores, and professional websites without stress. 

The Microweber platform comes with integrated shopping features and template designs that respond to different device screens plus SEO updates. Its structure can expand with basic updates and adaptations. Microweber helps small enterprises and individuals build websites with exceptional ease while offering strong platform capabilities.

Features:

  • Drag-and-drop editor
  • Built-in e-commerce tools
  • SEO-friendly
  • Template customization

Pros:

  • Beginner-friendly
  • Built-in e-commerce features

Cons:

  • Limited scalability
  • Small plugin ecosystem

Website: microweber.com

15. Pimcore

Open Source CMS Software
Open Source CMS Software

Pimcore stands as an open-source system that merges CMS functions together with PIM and DAM resources to create complete digital experiences. Large companies that want to handle their content, data, and customer experiences via one platform should use Pimcore. The platform allows users to handle content in multiple languages while including powerful workflow tools and easy connections to outside platforms.

You can easily transform and scale its functions thanks to its design and API support. Businesses that need complete digital experience management should choose Pimcore because it uses data to design customized content delivery across all touchpoints.

Features:

  • Digital asset management
  • Product information management
  • Multichannel publishing
  • Customizable workflows

Pros:

  • Great for managing complex data
  • Scalable for enterprise use

Cons:

  • Requires technical expertise
  • Not beginner-friendly

Website: pimcore.com

Common Challenges with Open Source CMS

Here are some common challenges associated with using open-source CMS platforms:  

1. Steep Learning Curve: Most basic CMS options prove simple to set up and customize however open-source solutions like Drupal and TYPO3 need technical skill to implement.  

2. Customization Complexity: You need to understand coding or hire a developer for basic changes that add to setup and total project expenditures.  

3. Security Risks: Because of open-source platforms anyone can find and attempt to exploit their weaknesses. Vulnerability control depends on both keeping everything updated and staying focused on security tasks.  

4. Maintenance and Updates: It takes a while to keep all the system parts up to date because only technical people find this process easy.  

5. Compatibility Issues: When you combine multiple plugins with themes or third-party apps problems can happen that affect your system’s operation.  

6. Lack of Dedicated Support: Open-source systems receive support from their community but the level of assistance may vary depending on when members respond.  

7. Performance Issues: A poorly configured theme and plugin setup impacts website speed which then hurts user experience and search rankings.  

8. Scalability Challenges: Although most open-source CMS systems can expand to handle larger sites some websites need special setup or extra tools to perform well.  

9. Hosting Dependencies: Open-source CMS tools usually need special website hosting setups that cause users to pick from specific hosting services.  

10. User Management Limitations: Special user management systems demand unique development work that complicates system administration.

Conclusion 

Open-source CMS tools now make it easier and cheaper to build websites with features developed by many users worldwide. These platforms work at both individual blog level and enterprise level by offering tools and features users can personalize to suit their project requirements. 

Despite becoming harder to maintain and safeguard against potential security threats these platforms deliver better scalability features and opportunities for custom development along with strong community backup. Beginners and developers can start building their user-friendly websites through open-source CMS options that work for everyone. Open-source Content Management Systems (CMS) will build on their success as technology progresses to address new web development needs.

FAQs 

1. What is an open-source CMS?  

Users can get free access to source code when they use an open-source CMS because the system lets them change and share its programming.  

2. What benefits do an open-source CMS system offer users in its design?  

This technology creates affordable solutions that adapt to diverse needs while growing without limits and includes many user groups and design options.  

3. What open-source CMS software gets used by many people today?  

WordPress takes the lead among several well-known open-source CMS choices including Joomla, Drupal, and TYPO3 plus Magento Open Source.  

4. Where can I use open-source CMS without paying for anything?  

The core system runs without charge but you might need to pay for hosting services or add premium plugins and adjustments.  

5. How do I adopt an open-source CMS system?  

You can personalize most open-source CMS systems since they give users access to their original programming materials.  

6. Do open-source content management systems help improve online visibility in search results?  

Every open-source CMS comes standard with SEO tools you can use to improve your website’s search engine results.  

7. How safe is our data with open-source content management systems?

You can keep your open-source CMS secure by downloading regular updates along with security features to fight potential threats.  

8. Can beginners with no coding skills use open-source CMS products?  

Using WordPress is easy for beginners but you need digital know-how to handle Drupal’s advanced system.  

9. When should I update my CMS system?  

You need to update your CMS system regularly for better security alongside compatibility and improved performance.  

10. Does an open-source content management system work for online stores?  

Both Magento Open Source and PrestaShop exist to help businesses run their online stores.  

11. What type of servers do open-source CMS systems need to operate effectively?  

Many open-source CMS platforms need a server that supports PHP, MySQL, and similar database technology.  

12. Does open-source CMS support connections to external software products?  

The main CMS platforms built on open-source technology support connections to external APIs, CRM and analytics devices.

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