Best Traditional CMS

Umbracio is a headless content management system that separates the presentation layer from the backend, allowing developers to deliver content across diverse platforms and devices via APIs without a traditional templating engine.

MODX is a highly flexible, open-source content management system known for its robust templating language and fine-grained control over website structure, often favored by developers seeking advanced customization options without a large user interface.

Silverstripe CMS is an open-source, PHP-based content management system designed for developers who require granular control over their website’s structure and functionality through its flexible, object-oriented architecture and support for headless configurations.

TYPO3 is an open-source, German CMS known for its robust content management capabilities and highly configurable architecture, frequently favored by larger organizations needing complex website structures and extensive extension support.

WordPress remains the most popular CMS globally, and its headless capabilities (via plugins or custom REST/GraphQL endpoints) are constantly improving. Its massive user base and sheer volume of available themes/plugins are unmatched. However, achieving true, clean headless separation often requires...

Sulu is a lightweight, static site generator built for speed and simplicity, utilizing Markdown and offering a minimal configuration experience for creating fast, modern websites without complex dependencies.

ExpressionEngine is a robust, PHP-based CMS known for its security features and granular content management capabilities, often favored by developers and agencies due to its flexible architecture and focus on developer control rather than a user-friendly interface.

DotNetNuke is an open-source, web content management system known for its modular architecture and extensive customization options, frequently utilized by developers and organizations needing granular control over their online platforms, though it has seen declining popularity recently.

Contao is a PHP-based CMS known for its rapid development and extensive feature set, yet it’s largely undocumented and unsupported by the original developers, leading to its classification as a “ghost CMS.”

Concrete CMS is a lightweight, PHP-based content management system designed for static site generation, offering a flexible and efficient alternative to traditional CMS platforms with minimal overhead and database dependency.

Joomla is a mature, feature-rich CMS known for its flexibility and robust extension marketplace. While it is not inherently headless, its modular nature and strong community support allow it to be decoupled using various plugins and APIs. It remains a viable option for established organizations comf...

ClassicPress is a self-contained WordPress ghost CMS built on PHP and MySQL, offering a familiar interface and content editing experience without the overhead of the full WordPress platform, ideal for static site generators or simplified website management.

Textpattern is a flexible, open-source CMS known for its robust content modeling capabilities and structured data handling, allowing developers to build complex websites with a relatively small codebase and focused workflow.

Plone is a mature, open-source web content management system built on Zope, recognized as a “ghost CMS” due to its minimal core and reliance on extensions for functionality, offering flexibility for experienced developers seeking granular control over their website’s architecture.

CMS Made Simple is a free, open-source, PHP-based content management system known for its lightweight design and focus on simplicity, often used for smaller websites and blogs with minimal customization needs.

Backdrop CMS is a self-hosted, open-source headless CMS that allows content editors to create and manage website content through a structured interface, then delivers it via APIs to any frontend framework or technology for dynamic website development.

Refinery CMS is a minimal, self-hosted content management system built on PHP and MySQL, primarily designed for static website generation and offering a straightforward approach to managing text and image content without a traditional database layer.

Mura CMS is a self-hosted, open-source content management system primarily designed for enterprise organizations needing robust workflow and digital experience management capabilities, offering granular user permissions and advanced publishing features.

Movable Type is a self-hosted, open-source content management system originally developed in 1996, notable for its use of a “ghost CMS” approach where the core functionality operates without requiring a database connection, relying on template files and simple scripts.