![Best Free CMS Platforms for Self-Hosted Blogs and Websites [2025 Edition]](https://ferisetyawan.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Best-CMS-Platforms.png)
Choosing the right Content Management System (CMS) is key when you’re building a blog, portfolio, e-commerce store, or documentation hub. Whether you’re a Linux sysadmin, a minimalist blogger, or a dev-first team looking for a headless solution, this guide lists the best free, self-hosted, and web-based CMS platforms for 2025—organized by category for your convenience.
🧩 1. General-Purpose CMS
| CMS Name | Type | Tech Stack | Database | Website / Download Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| WordPress | General CMS | PHP + MySQL | Yes | wordpress.org |
| Joomla! | General CMS | PHP + MySQL | Yes | joomla.org |
| Drupal | General CMS | PHP + MySQL/pgsql | Yes | drupal.org |
| Backdrop CMS | Lightweight Drupal | PHP + MySQL | Yes | backdropcms.org |
| Grav | Flat-file CMS | PHP | No | getgrav.org |
| ClassicPress | WordPress fork | PHP + MySQL | Yes | classicpress.net |
| Monstra | Flat-file CMS | PHP | No | monstra.org |
📦 2. Flat-File CMS (No Database)
| CMS Name | Type | Tech Stack | Website / Download Link |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grav | Flat-file CMS | PHP | getgrav.org |
| Jekyll | Static Site Gen. | Ruby | jekyllrb.com |
| Hugo | Static Site Gen. | Go | gohugo.io |
| Eleventy | Static Site Gen. | Node.js | 11ty.dev |
| Publii | Desktop CMS (static) | HTML, Electron | getpublii.com |
| Typesetter | Flat-file CMS | PHP | typesettercms.com |
| WonderCMS | Lightweight CMS | PHP | wondercms.com |
🛒 3. E-Commerce CMS
| CMS Name | Type | Tech Stack | Website / Download Link |
|---|---|---|---|
| Magento Open Source | E-Commerce | PHP + MySQL | magento.com |
| PrestaShop | E-Commerce | PHP + MySQL | prestashop.com |
| OpenCart | E-Commerce | PHP + MySQL | opencart.com |
| Shopware CE | E-Commerce | PHP + MySQL | shopware.com |
| Bagisto | Laravel-based E-Commerce | PHP + MySQL | bagisto.com |
| Saleor | Headless E-Commerce | Python + GraphQL | saleor.io |
| Vue Storefront | Frontend for Headless | JS + Node.js | vuestorefront.io |
🧠 4. Headless CMS
| CMS Name | Type | Tech Stack | Website / Download Link |
|---|---|---|---|
| Strapi | Headless | Node.js + Mongo/Postgres | strapi.io |
| Directus | Headless | Node.js + SQL | directus.io |
| Payload CMS | Headless | Node.js + MongoDB | payloadcms.com |
| KeystoneJS | Headless | Node.js + MongoDB | keystonejs.com |
| Sanity.io | Headless (Hosted) | Node.js (hosted) | sanity.io |
| Netlify CMS | Git-based | JS + Git | netlifycms.org |
| Contenta CMS | Drupal Headless | PHP | contentacms.org |
🏢 5. Enterprise-Grade CMS
| CMS Name | Type | Tech Stack | Website / Download Link |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plone | Enterprise CMS | Python + Zope | plone.org |
| eZ Platform / Ibexa | Enterprise CMS | PHP + MySQL | ibexa.co |
| TYPO3 | Enterprise CMS | PHP + MySQL | typo3.org |
📚 6. Wiki / Knowledge Base CMS
| CMS Name | Type | Tech Stack | Website / Download Link |
|---|---|---|---|
| MediaWiki | Wiki | PHP + MySQL | mediawiki.org |
| BookStack | Docs/Wiki | Laravel + MySQL | bookstackapp.com |
| DokuWiki | Flat-file Wiki | PHP | dokuwiki.org |
| TWiki / Foswiki | Enterprise Wiki | Perl | foswiki.org |
| XWiki | Java Wiki | Java + MySQL | xwiki.org |
🎓 7. LMS / Education CMS
| CMS Name | Type | Tech Stack | Website / Download Link |
|---|---|---|---|
| Moodle | LMS | PHP + MySQL | moodle.org |
| Chamilo | LMS | PHP + MySQL | chamilo.org |
| ILIAS | LMS | PHP + MySQL | ilias.de |
| Canvas LMS | LMS | Ruby on Rails | instructure.com |
🧑🎨 8. Portfolio / Minimalist Blogging CMS
| CMS Name | Type | Tech Stack | Website / Download Link |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ghost | Blogging CMS | Node.js + MySQL | ghost.org |
| Plume | Federated Blog | Rust + PostgreSQL | joinplu.me |
| Anchor CMS | Minimal Blog | PHP + MySQL | anchorcms.com |
| Zola | Static Site Gen. | Rust | getzola.org |
🔧 9. Other CMS Platforms
| CMS Name | Type | Tech Stack | Website / Download Link |
|---|---|---|---|
| SilverStripe | Developer CMS | PHP + MySQL | silverstripe.org |
| OctoberCMS | Laravel CMS | PHP + MySQL | octobercms.com |
| ProcessWire | CMS + CMF | PHP + MySQL | processwire.com |
| Concrete CMS | Visual CMS | PHP + MySQL | concretecms.org |
| Fork CMS | Marketing CMS | PHP + MySQL | fork-cms.com |
| Serendipity | Blog CMS | PHP + MySQL | s9y.org |
