Choosing a CMS (website engine) is about matching goals to trade-offs: speed vs. flexibility, self-hosted control vs. hosted convenience, and developer freedom vs. easy client workflows. This guide groups 100 notable engines and gives one-line snapshots to help you shortlist fast.

Jump to a Top 5 Comparison 👇

Quick checklist before you pick

Use this checklist to shrink your shortlist to 3–5 engines you can test:

• Purpose first: blog, brochure site, ecommerce, documentation, or large-scale enterprise?

• Who will run it? Non-technical editors need polished UI; developers may prefer API-first or framework-based systems.

• Hosting & budget: self-hosted (lower licensing cost, more ops) vs. hosted SaaS (predictable pricing, less maintenance).

• Scale & performance: caching, CDN support, and headless options matter if you expect growth or lots of traffic.

• Integrations & workflows: CRM, analytics, e-commerce, marketing automation.

• Security & maintenance: frequency of updates, community activity, and availability of enterprise support.

• Future proofing: headless, GraphQL/REST APIs, or content-first approaches make multi-channel publishing easier.

How this guide is organized

The engines are grouped into:

• Open-source (self-hosted, community-driven)

• Proprietary / SaaS (hosted, turn-key)

• Specialized & headless (static site generators, frameworks, and niche systems)

Each entry includes a short, practical note to help you compare.

Open-Source Engines (customizable, self-hosted)

1. WordPress — Extremely extensible; huge plugin/theme ecosystem; great for blogs to complex sites. PHP + MySQL

2. Drupal — Powerful content models and permissions; fits complex portals and multi-site projects. PHP

3. Joomla — Middle ground between WordPress and Drupal; good for small-to-medium business sites. PHP

4. TYPO3 — Enterprise features and multisite management; strong editorial and workflow tools. PHP

5. Grav — Flat-file CMS; fast and simple for portfolios and small sites. PHP + Markdown

6. Umbraco — .NET CMS with in-context editing; friendly for editors and Microsoft shops. C#

7. Concrete CMS — Block-based editing and collaboration features; easy inline editing PHP

8. SilverStripe — Flexible content modelling with a developer-friendly framework. PHP

9. Craft CMS — Clean templating and strong dev ergonomics; great for bespoke, design-led sites. PHP/Twig

10. Contao — Focus on accessibility and permissions for mid-sized sites. PHP

11. OpenCart — Lightweight ecommerce engine for relatively simple stores. PHP

12. Backdrop CMS — Simpler fork of Drupal for mid-sized sites; easier upgrades. PHP

13. Strapi — Modern headless CMS with a friendly admin and API-first design. Node.js

14. Ghost — Fast publishing platform focused on content and newsletters. Node.js

15. OctoberCMS — Laravel-based CMS for developers who want plugin ecosystems and control. PHP/Laravel

16. OpenCms — Java-based CMS with enterprise-grade features and versioning. Java

17. ProcessWire — API-first, lightweight and highly flexible for developers. PHP

18. Bolt CMS — Simple, content-focused with Symfony integration. PHP

19. CMS Made Simple — Minimalist and easy to manage small sites. PHP

20. Kirby — Flat-file CMS favored by designers; paid license but simple git workflows. PHP

21. Neos CMS — Inline editing and creative workflows; good editorial UX. PHP

22. PrestaShop — Modular ecommerce for SMBs, strong European market presence. PHP

23. Magento (Adobe Commerce) — Full-featured enterprise ecommerce; powerful but complex. PHP

24. SPIP — Simple publishing system with multi-language support. PHP

25. eZ Platform (Ibexa) — Enterprise DXP features with structured content. PHP/Symfony

26. Cockpit — Lightweight headless, good for small API-first projects. PHP

27. Tina — Git-backed editing focused on Jamstack workflows and visual editing. JavaScript

28. Decap CMS (ex-Netlify CMS) — Git-based content editor for static sites. JavaScript

29. Payload — Modern headless CMS with TypeScript-first approach. Node.js

30. Jahia — Modular digital experience platform with personalization tools. Java

31. Alfresco — Document-centric ECM with workflows for enterprises. Java

32. dotCMS — Hybrid headless CMS for multi-tenant, API-first needs. Java

33. OpenKM — Document management with search/OCR features. Java

34. e107 — Portal and community features for smaller communities. PHP

35. b2evolution — Multi-blog management with integrated social tools. PHP

36. Exponent CMS — Flexible module-based CMS for fast site builds. PHP

37. Dotclear — Simple blogging platform with lightweight UI. PHP

38. Composr CMS — Feature-rich portal engine for community sites. PHP

39. CMSimple — Ultra-light flat-file option with minimal overhead. PHP

40. Mezzanine — Django-based CMS combining blogging and CMS features. Python/Django

Proprietary / SaaS Engines (hosted, support included)

41. Adobe Experience Manager — Enterprise personalization and Adobe integrations. Java

42. HubSpot CMS — Tight CRM and marketing integration; editor-friendly. Great for marketing teams. SaaS

43. Kentico — .NET platform with headless options and marketing features.

44. Squarespace — Designer-focused templates and quick setup for creative portfolios. SaaS

45. Contentful — Popular headless SaaS with robust APIs and multi-channel delivery. SaaS

46. Webflow — Visual designer tooling with production hosting; good for designers who want control. SaaS

47. Wix — Beginner-focused builder with many templates and app-market addons. SaaS

48. Sitefinity — .NET CMS with optimization and personalization features.

49. Shopify — Turn-key ecommerce with app ecosystem and easy store setup. SaaS

50. BigCommerce — Scalable ecommerce with multi-channel selling tools. SaaS

51. Agility CMS — Headless SaaS with content-first APIs and speed optimizations.

52. Microsoft SharePoint — Collaboration platform with content features; strong Office integrations.

53. Optimizely (formerly Episerver) — Content + experimentation; helpful for data-driven marketers.

54. Oracle WebCenter — Enterprise content and portal solutions.

55. OpenText TeamSite — Multisite and enterprise-level content management.

56. Sanity — Real-time headless CMS with collaborative editing. SaaS

57. ButterCMS — Developer-friendly headless CMS for marketing teams. SaaS

58. CloudCannon — Visual editing for static sites and Jamstack teams. SaaS

59. Cosmic — Simple headless API with a visual builder and free tier. SaaS

60. DatoCMS — Headless with media management and translation support. SaaS

61. Hygraph — GraphQL-first CMS suited to complex schemas and integrations. SaaS

62. Prismic — Component-based slices and editorial-friendly UI. SaaS

63. Storyblok — Visual editor for headless builds with component composition. SaaS

64. Sitecore — Enterprise personalization, deep analytics and commerce integrations. .NET

65. Builder.io — Visual headless page builder for devs and marketers. SaaS

66. Amplience — Headless commerce assets and media management. SaaS

67. Acquia — Managed Drupal platform for cloud and enterprise teams. SaaS/Managed

68. Salesforce Experience Cloud — CRM-integrated portals and communities. SaaS

69. Bloomreach — Omnichannel commerce experiences with AI-driven search. SaaS

70. Confluence — Team documentation and internal knowledge base. SaaS

71. censhare — DAM and omnichannel content orchestration for complex enterprises.

72. CoreMedia Content Cloud — Enterprise content platform for retailers and publishers.

73. Cloud CMS — Schema-driven headless platform with developer tools. SaaS

74. O3Spaces — Group collaboration and doc-focused CMS. SaaS

75. Oracle Content Management — Cloud ECM with AI features and enterprise governance.

76. Omni CMS — Higher-ed focused CMS with accessibility features. SaaS

77. uCoz — Modular website builder with forums and e-commerce basics. SaaS

78. Zesty.io — No-code marketing features blended with headless content. SaaS

79. BLOX CMS — Publishing workflows for newsrooms and media companies. SaaS

80. Kontent.ai — Enterprise headless CMS with editorial tooling and AI assistants. SaaS

Specialized, Headless, Jamstack & Framework-Friendly Engines

81. MODX — Extremely flexible templating and extensibility; no rigid constraints. PHP

82. Statamic — Git-driven flat-file CMS with strong local workflows and Jamstack friendliness. PHP

83. PyroCMS — Laravel-based CMS for apps that need Laravel ecosystem. PHP

84. Django CMS — Python-based, plugin-friendly CMS for Django shops. Python

85. Wagtail — StreamField and editorial UX used by big publishers; Django-based. Python

86. Directus — Instant APIs over SQL databases; great when you want DB-first control. Node.js + SQL

87. Keystone — Node.js framework/CMS with GraphQL and flexible data models. Node.js

88. ApostropheCMS — In-context editing and modular widgets; good for content-rich apps. Node.js

89. Gatsby — React-based static site generator with excellent performance for content sites. JavaScript

90. DokuWiki — Simple file-based wiki for docs and knowledge bases. PHP

91. Pimcore — Combines PIM, DAM and CMS for data-driven commerce. PHP/Symfony

92. Squidex — Event-driven headless CMS with WebSocket/events support. .NET

93. Crafter CMS — Git-friendly hybrid CMS with personalization for modern apps. Java

94. Gentics Mesh — API-first multilingual CMS with fine-grained permissions. Java

95. Bludit — Small flat-file blogging system for quick personal sites. PHP

96. Contenta — Headless distribution layer for Drupal, adds API-first shipping. PHP

97. Enonic XP — Content platform built for scalablity and app-like sites. Java

98. DNN Platform — .NET-based portal and modular site platform. .NET

99. Orchard — Community-driven .NET CMS built on MVC concepts. .NET

100. Piranha CMS — Lightweight .NET CMS for Razor pages and small apps. .NET

Short buying guide (3 practical scenarios)

You need a brochure site and want low cost + speed: try a flat-file (Grav, Kirby, Statamic) or hosted builder (Squarespace, Webflow).

You need ecommerce fast: Shopify or BigCommerce for hosted; Magento or PrestaShop for full control and scale.

You need a multi-site or enterprise portal: evaluate Sitecore, Adobe Experience Manager, Kentico, or a managed Drupal (Acquia).

Final notes & next steps

Picking a CMS is more about fit. Start by defining the content model and editorial workflows you need; then shortlist by hosting preference (self vs hosted), integrations, and skillset available to maintain the site.

October 2025