Publishing Platforms
Estimated Reading Time: 22 minutes Last updated on 21st November 2024
This edifice is powered by WordPress, but there are other open-source blogging options out there and a number of these appear below, along with some proprietary alternatives. Also joining the list is the software that powers Wikipedia and a smattering of open-source Content Management Systems.
Though there appears to be a myriad of web publishing options out there presently, I’ll remain open to looking at whatever comes my way. For anything to be added here, though, it will need to open source and allow self-hosting. The former criterion excludes options like ExpressionEngine or Perch even if there is a version available that is free of charge and I recognise that many like it. The latter constraint means that services like Blogger, SquareSpace, Tumblr or WordPress.com won’t be discussed here. Many may use these, but this collection is meant for the do-it-yourself inclination that is in many of us. That is never to say that I look down on users of hosted publishing solutions because what you find here once started out on WordPress.com and, even today, I still have another active site on there.
The “Marginal Hacks Photo Album Generator” is an HTML photo album generator that supports themes and multiple languages. It is a Perl script designed for ease of use, speed, and power, creating thumbnails and HTML from image directories. The new GUI/graphical interface, available as ‘galbum’, supports Windows, UNIX/Linux, and macOS. Features include EXIF support, video thumbnails, language localization, a plugin system, and various features like slideshows, transparent overlays, credit tags, and easy captions.
Though there is an enterprise edition too, this is an open-source Java-powered content and document management system. The community edition is available free of charge, but the company behind this makes its money from the enterprise edition and the provision of support.
This is a fork of WordPress that is focused on being more security and privacy orient. The TinyMCE editor is retained while Akismet is not part of the distribution, though the latter can be added from the WordPress plugins repository. Other callbacks to WordPress servers are being removed as well to furthering privacy. There has not been much sign of activity in the project for a while, though, which is a concern going forward.
The advent of the WordPress Gutenberg project also inspired this project to create its own fork, and it advertises a focus on business usage while sticking with the TinyMCE editor. Over time, it also may gain its own plugin repository, but that is for later. Existing WordPress instances can be converted using a plugin and it also it is possible to have a stand-alone new installation just like its parent project.
CMS Made Simple is an open-source content management system (CMS) built using PHP and the Smarty Engine. It offers a comprehensive Content Manager for editing and creating new pages, as well as a News module for managing article-based content like news or blogs. CMS Made Simple is user-friendly, making it suitable for non-technical content editors. For designers, the system’s templating engine allows for custom designs without being restricted by pre-purchased templates. Developers can expand the core through a robust module API and Smarty templating engine. CMS Made Simple was first released in 2004 as open source software and has since then been regularly updated with new features, security releases, and code improvements. The system is supported by an international team of developers who volunteer their time to maintain and market it. CMS Made Simple can be downloaded for free under the GPL licence and is suitable for commercial or personal projects after checking individual module licences.
Concrete CMS is a versatile web platform combining a user-friendly interface and a robust framework for both individuals and agencies. It allows easy website creation with its intuitive layout, featuring Pages, Areas, Blocks, Stacks, Themes, and Permissions. In-context editing enables content modification directly on the site. The toolbar offers page-specific functions like edit mode and adding new blocks, as well as site-wide tasks such as user management and dashboard access. Additionally, Concrete provides a File Manager for managing media files, users & groups for access control, and permissions for content editing. Users can create new pages, adjust settings, and manage overall site configurations using the Dashboard. The platform offers flexible security features like workflows and advanced permissions to suit various needs.
Contao is an accessible and powerful open source CMS that enables the creation of professional websites and scalable web applications since 2006. With a proven track record, it offers consistent development, high standards, and frequent updates for both editors and developers. Contao caters to various needs with its versatile features like multiple languages, detailed user permissions, and easy integration of extensions. It also prioritizes accessibility, SEO readiness, performance, security, and customizability through a Symfony-based framework. The community provides support and resources in German for both newcomers and experienced users. Contao is GDPR-compliant, long term supported with a reliable development cycle, highly customisable, and compatible with various web services.
Coppermine Photo Gallery is a feature-rich, integrated web photo gallery script written in PHP using GD or ImageMagick as an image library with a MySQL backend. Developed by the Coppermine team and community contributors, it’s free to download and install on various web servers including IIS, Apache, Linux, UNIX, OSX, and Win32 systems. Requiring a good web server (Apache recommended), PHP 4.2.0 or better, MySQL 3.23.23 or later, and either GD or ImageMagick, Coppermine offers endless features such as picture arrangement in categories and albums, user management, multimedia support, search functionality, customisable templates, language selection, and more. The project started from the work of Grégory DEMAR and is released under GNU/GPL terms.
DokuWiki is an easy-to-install and use Open Source wiki software that doesn’t require a database. It has clean and readable syntax, making it popular for collaboration while maintaining a history of every change. DokuWiki can be used as a corporate knowledge base, private notebook, software manual, project workspace, or CMS intranet due to its low system requirements and built-in access control lists. Customisation is supported at all levels, from easy configuration via the admin interface to developing your own extensions. The large community contributes a variety of plugins and templates for broad use cases beyond traditional wikis. DokuWiki is licensed under GNU General Public Licence Version 2 and has been developed since 2004 by Andreas Gohr and the DokuWiki Community.
Nearly a decade ago, I went looking at this and was put off by the inability to bend website theming to my will and to match other parts of the outdoor activities, photography and travel website, so I left it. The opportunity to set up a stand-alone website dedicated to my late father’s history writings changed things recently, and I decided to have another go with much more success and much less irritation than the previous dalliance.
Fork CMS is a user-friendly content management system (CMS) that offers an intuitive interface for building, monitoring, and updating websites. It caters to both beginners and professionals, incorporating the latest technological innovations for developers, front-end developers, and designers to create impressive sites. The platform provides a range of powerful apps to expand functionality, with new apps constantly being developed by its dedicated community. Fork CMS also offers a collection of beautiful themes designed by skilled designers and continues to release new ones regularly. The system is marketing-focused, helping users optimize their site for better engagement and search engine love. Fork CMS is open source, allowing anyone to contribute and expand the platform.
Foswiki is a free and open-source collaboration platform that allows users and teams to edit pages directly in their web browser. It offers advanced collaboration capabilities through macros, enabling the creation of dynamic pages such as status boards, to-do lists, inventory systems, employee handbooks, bug trackers, and more. The platform provides a world-class text editor, customizable layouts, over 200 extensions, compatibility with TWiki, and community-based support. Foswiki has been used to build various projects including Rocket Boards, and receives frequent updates and improvements for its features and security. It is also available for download or online registration.
GetSimple CMS Community Edition (CE) is an XML-based, stand-alone, independent Content Management System known for its user-friendly interface and comprehensive features. It supports the latest PHP versions, ensuring compatibility with various web hosts. The CE version addresses issues from the original GetSimple CMS regarding mobile responsiveness and offers updates to plugins like EasyComments, MapCreator, Massive Admin, MultiBlock, and a new addition of ResponsiveCE theme. Users can download and install plugins directly through the dashboard for seamless integration. For queries or suggestions, the community is encouraged to join Discord or GitHub’s dedicated channels.
This blogging tool appears to be getting a lot of praise these days when WordPress is so dominant. Finding a copy to install on a server of your own needs a visit to the installation guide in the documentation, or to go to its area on GitHub. There also are free and paid hosting options too, and that is what is being proffered on the project’s home page. Though available as open-source under the more permissive MIT licence, there clearly is a need to fund the project’s future development.
Grav is an open-source, flat-file CMS developed by Trilby Media. It offers fast performance, easy content creation, and flexible features through its powerful API and Package Manager. Grav’s simple admin plugin simplifies configuration and content management. The community supports Grav with regular updates and contributions to the GitHub repository and Discord chat server. As an open-source project, all code is available on GitHub. Grav has multi-language support, automatic image manipulation, and dynamic content types. It provides simple backups and restores and is compatible with various plugins and themes for customisation. With its flexible content structure and powerful Twig templating, Grav can power all kinds of websites. The project boasts a dedicated team of professionals from Trilby Media for consulting, plugin/theme development, design, development, and porting to Grav from other platforms. Grav is part of the Open Collective family, allowing users to support its continued development. The platform has been recognised as the “Best Open Source CMS” in 2016 and the “Best Flat File CMS” in 2017, 2019, 2020, and 2021.
Founded in 2009, ImpressPages is an open-source PHP framework with content management capabilities that offers a new MVC engine based on globally recognised PHP components for easy customisation. It offers a user-friendly design both in website layout and administration interface, simplifying website management through inline editing and a drag & drop CMS. ImpressPages also provides support, including detailed user guides and tutorials, as well as a subscription-based service for heavy users. The platform’s Marketplace offers various themes and plugins to make content engaging and visually appealing. Users praise its capabilities for building multilingual websites.
There are a number of static website generators out there, but this is the only one that I actually have used to produce a website. That was a simple affair that allowed me to spend some time learning a new way of working. The result was a success, so other web presences may use this approach, and there are platforms like Tina that automate the process as well.
There is no database at the back of this and the content editing involves using Markdown too, so this is a different approach to publishing on the web. Because Ruby is the technology underlying the whole thing, your web host may need to support that too. Nevertheless, Stack Overflow decided to use it for their own blog, so that is an example for you to survey.
Joomla! is a popular and versatile open-source content management system (CMS) used globally to power various types of websites, including corporate, small business, e-commerce, government, non-profit, community-based, and personal sites. Designed for ease of use, Joomla! allows users to manage content, collaborate, report, distribute information, and extend functionality through thousands of free extensions. The platform is highly extensible, making it suitable for both basic websites and complex business applications. Joomla!’s powerful application framework enables developers to build advanced functionalities such as inventory control systems, data reporting tools, and custom product catalogues. With a short learning curve and extensive documentation, Joomla! offers an accessible solution for both beginners and experienced users. It’s free, open-source, and available under the GPL licence. To get started, users can download and install Joomla! themselves, or use a free hosting service like launch.joomla.org for immediate results.
MediaWiki is a popular collaboration and documentation platform used by thousands of companies and organisations, powering websites including Wikipedia. It’s an open-source software that enables knowledge collection, organisation, and access in multiple languages. MediaWiki is free, reliable, customisable, extensible, and regularly updated with new releases and security patches. Users can download, install, and configure the software themselves or seek professional help. The platform offers various features for editing, navigating, translating, and developing code extensions. If you encounter issues, a support desk is available. MediaWiki supports multiple languages and adheres to a Code of Conduct. It is maintained by the Wikimedia Foundation and uses the MediaWiki software.
MoinMoin is an advanced, easy-to-use, and extensible WikiEngine with a large community of users focused on collaboration on editable web pages. Released under the GPL licence, MoinMoin offers features including sandbox playgrounds, documentation, extensions, downloads, support options, and development resources. To prevent spam, new user accounts must be created by superusers and users need TrustedEditorGroup membership to edit content. Notable sites using MoinMoin include Python Wiki, Ubuntu (global), and Mercurial.
Movable Type is a popular weblog publishing system and content management platform developed by Six Apart since October 2001, with the latest version being 8.0. Its key features include multiple hosting options, file management, user role management, template customization, tag and category organization, trackback support, and both static and dynamic page generation. Written in Perl and supporting MySQL natively for data storage, Movable Type is a flexible platform designed for building websites, blogs, and social networks. Available as professional and enterprise versions, it caters to various users from large media companies and Fortune 100 businesses down to small bloggers. Scalable for high data use, Movable Type can accommodate both small blogs and large-scale corporate websites. The platform has a rich history with significant milestones such as the introduction of TrackBack in version 2.2 and licensing changes in versions 3.0 and 6.0 that sparked controversy. These pertained to a one-time open-source version that no longer is on offer; in short, so this very much is a for-fee option, and has been since 2013.
Omeka is a popular, open-source web publishing platform developed by George Mason University in 2007 for creating media-rich online exhibits and managing digital collections. It offers features like digital object management and display, metadata management using Dublin Core standards, support for various media formats, customizable themes, and plugins. Omeka caters to museums, libraries, archives, scholars, educators, small to medium-sized institutions, and academic projects. The platform is available in three versions: Classic for individual projects, .net as a hosted solution, and S for larger institutions. Since its launch in 2008, it has been downloaded over 500,000 times and used by thousands of websites worldwide. Omeka provides a flexible solution for creating online exhibits and sharing digital resources in the cultural heritage sector and academia.
Pivot is a free, web-based tool designed for maintaining dynamic websites such as weblogs or online journals. Released under the GPL, it is written in PHP and does not require additional libraries or databases to function. Users can access all features through a web browser, making it usable from anywhere. Pivot offers sophisticated categories/weblogs system, template-based design, built-in search tool, simple statistics, internet security for kids, easy image uploads and thumbnail creation, comment system with visitor memory (optional), RSS- and Atom-feed generation, IP blocking, archiving by week or month, full WYSIWYG editing support (select browsers), Textile integration in entries and comments, no external databases required, valid XHTML production, and makes valid XHTML when possible. The manual is divided into several parts, with quick access through the top navigation menu.
Piwigo is a web application designed to manage personal and professional collections of photos, media files, and other digital assets. Its user base includes individuals, families, amateurs, professionals, organisations such as public sector, companies, foundations, and large-scale image banks. Piwigo offers features like ease of use, affordability, high performance, and sustainability in the Digital Asset Management field. With capabilities for handling high volumes (up to 500,000 photos), advanced permissions control, batch downloader, and self-hosting options, it caters to various user needs. The software is open-source under GNU Licence, allowing users freedom to modify and redistribute the source code. Piwigo can be downloaded for self-hosting or used as a service on Piwigo.com with hosting fees. Originally launched in 2002, it has reached maturity level while continuing to evolve.
ProcessWire is a user-friendly open source CMS that connects all content seamlessly, making development fast and enjoyable. Its customisable fields and powerful API enable easy access to any part of your site’s content. With scalable performance, a secure foundation, and an intuitive interface, ProcessWire has proven reliability for both small and large projects. Its active community provides support and resources, ensuring a smooth experience for developers and clients alike.
This uses the Smarty templating engine as the backbone of its blogging capability, and very well it seems to work too. Of course, there is the need to learn a new way of doing things, but that’s always the way with unfamiliar technology. In this case, it is the templating language that really supplies the learning curve, though a day’s effort is all that’s needed to get going. With all that’s going for it, it’s a pity that the calendar widget (or nugget as these things get called in the Serendipity world) doesn’t stop when it should and lands you one month into the future! Let’s hope that they get as far as addressing that one.
ShellCMS is a lightweight and efficient static site generator CMS that provides high security, low server load, and fast page loading times through the creation of completely static HTML pages. With its WYSIWYG HTML editor, users can easily create and edit pages without the limitations of Markdown. The system’s small bash shell script (1600 lines) makes it quick and efficient to use. ShellCMS offers two modes: “document” and “blog,” each optimized for different purposes. Multiple instances of this CMS can coexist on a single site. Additionally, users have the option to incorporate Disqus and Twitter blog comments. The system allows for local development with easy upload using rsync, making it user-friendly and compatible with SeaMonkey Composer. ShellCMS is designed to scale efficiently for large sites and provides enhanced security due to the lack of a database. This makes the site easily transferable to other remote hosts.
SilverStripe CMS, provides an intuitive platform for managing website content without requiring HTML knowledge. Its user-friendly interface includes a Site Tree for navigating the page hierarchy and drag-and-drop functionality for uploading files. Additional features comprise easy content approval workflows, multilingual support, search engine optimization, and the ability to extend capabilities using SilverStripe Framework. The CMS offers design flexibility through separation of code from templates and caters to various business needs with a solid open-source foundation. Organizations appreciate its fast updates, efficient multiple content authoring, and quick reviewing capabilities. SilverStripe CMS is backed by expert support and offers pricing plans for private and public sectors. Learn more via the demo, user help documentation, and support resources available on their website.
Subrion is a free, open-source content management system (CMS) built on PHP and MySQL. It allows users to create websites for various purposes, including blogs and corporate sites, using its easy-to-extend framework. Key features include being free and customisable, an intuitive admin dashboard, an extensive templates and plugins library, blog functionality, multilingual support, and a growing community of developers contributing to its development through GitHub. Subrion offers various extensions for additional functionality such as real estate agencies, events management, contact forms, language file imports from Transifex, and commenting systems. The CMS also includes weather updates, Twitter feed integration, email newsletter subscription, and premium extensions like Articles Script, Realty Classifieds Script, Auto Classified Software, Coupons & Deals Script, Yellow Pages Script, and Web Directory Script. Custom development services are available for unique designs, professional coding, data migrations, and new projects. Subrion is developed by Intelliants LLC and is licensed under the MIT Licence.
It may not feel as slick or as swish as others, but I have made it do what I want for two parts of my travel and outdoors website. With its Textile mark up language and the way that content is organised, it may come across as being more for technical folks, but that can be tamed too. Plugins help on that front, and I have grown to respect the flexibility. As you might have gathered, I quite like it.
TiddlyWiki is a non-linear personal web notebook for capturing, organizing, and sharing complex information. Use it to manage your ideas, plan projects, or build websites. It’s customisable and extensible with plugins, and community-driven through user testimonials and reviews. TiddlyWiki has a 20-year history and is available online or as a desktop application for various platforms.
Tiki is an open-source web platform designed for collaboration and communication, with features including a wiki, file gallery, tracker, search, categories, tags, notifications, and personalisation options. Its transversal management features allow users to control access, create profiles, perspectives, and configured applications, making it suitable for various use cases like professional services automation or document management systems. The platform is scalable and compliant with standards such as GDPR. It can be extended using Composer Packages and supports external services. Tiki’s all-in-one model enables a secure extension without relying on third-party plugins, offering features like multi-site management and customization while maintaining ownership of content.
The TYPO3 Community presents its enterprise Content Management System (CMS), offering flexibility and ROI advantages for businesses through open source software. Designed for IT and marketing teams, this smart CMS facilitates content creation and delivery across multiple digital channels. It supports an unlimited number of websites and languages in one installation, allowing effective multisite and multilingual management. Integration with various digital marketing tools enables a consistent brand message. The open-source nature offers customisability while providing enterprise-level support from vendors and a professional community. TYPO3 ensures beautiful user experiences across devices and channels, including websites, headless web services, and native apps. Secure, performant, and scalable, TYPO3 allows businesses to create information-rich digital properties with fast load times and excellent performance.
Weblery is a free, open-source PHP web photo gallery developed by KJW3, LLC, available for download on SourceForge.net. Easy to implement with minimal setup required, simply include the weblery.php file into your website. Version 1.2 introduced the capability to display a single album naked (without a gallery listing or thumbnails) and determining its own location instead of requiring a configuration parameter. The software is flexible, with examples provided in the manual on how to load a naked gallery dynamically. It can be forced to load naked by adding “naked=true” as a URL parameter.
WonderCMS is a free, fast, and easy-to-use flat file content management system (CMS) developed since 2008. Installed without configuration, it’s privacy-focused with no commercial gain or ads, tracking, or “powered by” links. Features include one-click updates and backups, a theme/plugin installer, responsive design, user-friendly interface, in-place editing, SEO, and a small size for optimal speed. The CMS has been crafted to provide a minimalistic user experience for creating websites or blogs. Over 40 contributors have worked on WonderCMS, which is GDPR-compliant and supported by the developers Masha Pogorevc, Robert Isoski, and Slaven Stančič. Users can download the CMS, which requires no external dependencies, and access documentation, contributors list, donors, media, sitemap, licence, privacy/terms, and contact information on the official website.
Started out as a fork from b2 and is moving along a path from a dedicated blogging tool to a more general content management system. Though I am always concerned that some succeeding version will foist something upon me that I don’t want or need, it, so far, has avoided this state of affairs. That’s just as well, given that it turns up on two websites that I now run.
It might seem odd to include a document management system in here, but there’s something to be said for managing the content assets that sit behind a website too. XODA is a simple, responsive, and feature-rich document management system licensed under the BSD licence. It uses Pure.CSS for portability across various devices, offering advanced search options, file organization, version control, and sharing features. XODA’s code is modernized with HTML5 compliance and encourages user contributions for improvements or new ideas.
XWiki is a versatile platform that serves as both a first generation wiki for content collaboration and a second generation wiki for creating collaborative web applications using the wiki paradigm. As a first generation wiki, it offers features such as page editing, version control, rights management, search functionality, and exports to various formats. For structure and application creation in its second generation capacity, XWiki enables users to create blogs, file managers, meetings platforms, forums, and task management systems, among others. These capabilities make XWiki an efficient solution for addressing user needs that may otherwise go unmet due to development time and cost constraints. Interested parties can learn how to develop applications using App Within Minutes, or explore existing apps and extensions on the platform. XWiki caters to a wide range of users, from non-developers to experienced programmers, with extensive documentation, governance practices, and tools for contributing, testing, feedback, translation, reporting bugs, sharing code, and more. The platform is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution licence and is powered by XWiki SAS.