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What is Free Content Management Systems?

Content Management Software (or CMS) is a group of tools and applications organizations use to create, modify, and publish digital content online. Most CMSs use web browsers to distribute content, while there are also such that offer their own web-based GUI, and invite users to create their own templates rather than using premade pages. Show moreWhat you should expect from a good CMS is a variety of publishing options, in-built text editors, filtering and indexing features, SEO and metadata functionality. Advanced CMSs may also please users with advanced extensions and plugins that make content more competitive. To make the choice easier for you, we collated top performers you should know about, headed by our current leader monday.com.Show less

How was this ranking made?

To prepare this ranking of best Free Content Management Systems we have checked leading tools currently present on the market, studying their features, how easy are they are to learn, customer support, offered integrations and mobile support using our unique SmartScoreTM rating system. This list has been developed by Louie Andre, our software expert dedicated to the Free Content Management Systems category.

List of Top 12 Free Content Management Systems

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1. monday.com

Our score: 9.8 User satisfaction: 99%

An industry-leading collaboration app for on-site and remote work teams. This leverages tools such as Kanban boards, Gantt charts, and workflow automations to help teams handle any type of project. It also seamlessly integrates with third-party apps to ensure easier adoption and extend its capabilities.

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2. HubSpot

Our score: 9.0 User satisfaction: 99%

HubSpot is an award-winning software platform that offers marketing, sales, and CRM tools to help you grow your company by forging more authentic relationships with your customers. As an all-in-one marketing platform, it also serves as an efficient content management software.

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3. Strikingly

Our score: 9.0 User satisfaction: 96%

Strikingly is an online platform that enables people with zero coding skills to create beautiful websites and launch it on the go.

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4. Wix

Our score: 9.8 User satisfaction: 100%

Wix is one of world's leading online website builders that offers robust modules for marketing, ecommerce, and customer support and many more. Starting out as a basic, easy-to-use website builder, Wix expanded to become a total business solution for digital touchpoints.

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5. Weebly

Our score: 9.5 User satisfaction: 94%

Weebly is an online website builder tool that lets users create websites, ecommerce stores, and launch marketing campaigns from the same platform. It has a user-friendly drag-and-drop interface that allows users to develop unique websites and online stores. Weebly is also available for mobile devices, enabling users to create and publish web pages on the go.

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6. WordPress

Our score: 9.2 User satisfaction: 96%

WordPress is a leading open-source content management and blogging system with an interface that doesn't require HTML or FTP knowledge. It is a content management app that started as a simple blogging tool but moved fast towards providing fully functional CMS options through plugins, widgets, and themes.

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7. GoDaddy Website Builder

Our score: 9.2 User satisfaction: 93%

An intuitive website builder with eCommerce and digital marketing capabilities for boosting your online presence. GoDaddy Website Builder also offers a freemium plan that you can scale to more advanced and paid features.

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8. Zoho Sites

Our score: 9.2 User satisfaction: 94%

A free and simplified drag-and-drop website creator with robust features that doesn't require coding knowledge and complex installations. Zoho Sites is part of Zoho’s well-known productivity suite. It is a simplified and free website builder that allows businesses and individuals to make professional and detailed websites in literally a few minutes.

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9. Drupal

Our score: 9.1 User satisfaction: 97%

Drupal is an open-source CMS and web development platform. With the many features and functionalities of Drupal, amazing things can be created. Furthermore, it is an application development framework that compels the developers to use a common, structured approach that leads to a modular, interoperable code with a common interface.

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10. Joomla!

Our score: 8.7 User satisfaction: 99%

A free, open-source content management system (CMS) software designed to help both novice and expert web developers build websites. It provides thousands of free templates and extensions that empower web developers to create websites that fit their specific needs. Joomla! is mobile-friendly, search-engine optimized, and multilingual (supports over 70 languages).

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11. Pantheon.io

Our score: 8.8 User satisfaction: 100%

Website management platform for WordPress and Drupal allowing users to administer, update, and deploy changes on their websites.

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12. Contentful

Our score: 8.8 User satisfaction: 97%

Contentful provides an online content management system (CMS) platform that improves accessibility and customization with an API as its core.

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Similar Categories:

In the event you didn't find just the solution you were looking for here's a list of various categories similar to Free Content Management Systems that you might want to browse through:

Free Content Management Systems Guide

Table of contents

Free content management systems refer to web-based platforms that allow you to create, publish, and moderate web content without having to pay for web hosting and other features included in the free package. Usually, free CMS comes with ready-to-use tools for content creation, publishing, and collaboration, which is ideal for teams. Free CMS platforms are also easy to navigate as they often do not require complex coding or programming to set up and manage.

Beyond cost-efficiency, using free content management systems has several advantages, which include having a database or content repository. This is a secure space where all your content is stored and can be organized into different categories, such as published, unpublished, or other custom categories you deem fit. Good free content management software give you standard analytics tools that allow you to measure content performance and gather data to develop strategies to improve your content’s online presence.

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There is a good number of free content management systems, but not all of them offer the same level of capabilities to users. Some only provide bare minimum features while there are also those that deliver freemium services. Despite this distinction between free content management systems, the selection process can still be very challenging, especially for small businesses and users who are new or are transitioning to this type of platform.

In order to help with finding the best free content management systems you might be interested in, we will share some of the important factors to consider in choosing the right free content management solution. One good way to start is by checking the unpaid plans offered by popular and reputable vendors. These vendors usually have the ideal combination of key features and functions in their free CMS plans, which can be a good basis for comparison.

Another way to determine the best free content management software is by checking out the top vendors in our SmartScore system rankings and Customer Satisfaction Rating. The top-rated free content management systems we have are monday.comHubSpotWix, GoDaddy Website Builder, and Strikingly.

Targeted Businesses

Free content management solutions cater to small and growing businesses that are looking for content management platforms that are easy to manage and operate. Below are some of the scenarios where free CMS might be beneficial to businesses in this category:

  • Small startup websites. This is ideal for businesses that need a start-up website to feature their products or services and reach out and engage with potential customers. This usually comes with standard content management functions, such as custom themes, custom design, content scheduling, and the capability to install plugins, including shopping carts and payment processing. 
  • Medium websites. Medium websites are typically for businesses that are starting to scale up but are not quite ready to invest in paid content management platforms. Fortunately, there are free CMS solutions that can accommodate the needs of growing businesses, which include building and managing email lists, intuitive contact forms, and basic SEO tools, among others.

What Are the Examples of Free Content Management Systems?

Below are some of the leading free content management systems available in the market today:

  • monday.com. Considered one of the best collaboration solutions in today’s market, monday.com makes it easy for the members of on-site and remote teams to work on projects. This software solution is equipped with task management tools, workflow automation, document management, and more.
  • HubSpot. HubSpot is a powerful platform that offers free content management tools, such as a flexible theme, drag-and-drop page editor, payment tools, and built-in integration with Shopify.
  • Wix. This offers small businesses and teams the capability to create scalable professional-looking websites. Wix’s free plan gives you access to hundreds of templates, unlimited pages, and web hosting.
  • GoDaddy Website Builder. This is another popular CMS platform that combines website building with tools for ecommerce. marketing, and web analytics, among others. Its website building tools include highly customizable templates, click-and-drag and reorder features, drop-down menus, and more.
  • Strikingly.  Strikingly enables small businesses and teams to create full-featured websites that are fully optimized for mobile devices. The free version allows users to create multi-page sites with up to 5GB monthly bandwidth limit and 24/7 customer support.

Types of Free Content Management Systems

Free content management systems can be separated into three broad types:

  • SaaS CMS – Content management solutions under this category include online platforms. This type of CMS is typically hosted in the cloud by the vendor or service provider and requires little to zero maintenance from the end of the users. This type of CMS is ideal for small to medium-sized businesses not only because of the free versions offered by some of the vendors but also because of the low-cost premium packages offered in case an upgrade is needed.
  • On-premise CMS – This type of CMS is hosted locally by business organizations and managed by their IT team. On-premise CMS can be purchased one time with a license, but some vendors also offer monthly or annual subscription plans. Unlike SaaS CMS, on-premise platforms offer more internal control and a higher level of customization. This type of CMS, however, also requires higher maintenance and upkeep, which also translates to higher costs.
  • Open-source – The third type of CMS is the open-source CMS. Open-source software can either be self- or cloud-hosted and offers a higher level of customization compared to its proprietary counterparts. Open-source CMS gives users more freedom to modify and update their websites as they see fit. With an open source CMS, users can add their own design themes and layouts, a broad range of plug-ins, as well as more flexible integration capabilities.

Key Features of Free Content Management Systems

A  free content management solution provides the essential tools for a small business to create and launch a professional-looking and highly functional website. The best free CMS, however, are those that offer some of the capabilities often found in the premium or paid plans. Below are some of the key features you should consider when looking for a good free content management solution:

  • Customizability. A business’ website should match the unique brand it represents. To achieve this, a free CMS platform must be able to provide customization capabilities, especially in terms of design and other basic website functionalities
  • Usability. A good free CMS platform should not be complicated to navigate. It must be easy to use even for users who do not possess advanced skills to tinker with codes. For example, an ideal free CMS utilizes drag-and-drop functionality instead of manually coding a website’s design elements.
  • Mobile optimization. The vast majority of Internet users browse content on their mobile devices. For this reason alone, it is important for free CMS software to help small businesses create a website that is fully optimized for mobile devices. This not only makes the browsing experience smoother for potential customers, but it also plays a significant part in boosting web pages’ rankings in search results.
  • Pre-made templates. Another essential feature a good free CMS must have is access to ready-made templates for website design, theme, etc. These pre-made templates are also often customizable, which helps small businesses set up their website without having to start from scratch.
  • SEO tools. A good free content management system does not only offer free web creation and content publishing tools, but it should also come with, at the very least, basic SEO capabilities to drive traffic to your website. Free SEO tools can either be built-in or come in the form of free plugins.
  • Integration capabilities. There are essential functionalities that a free CMS does not natively offer but can provide. Via integration capabilities, small businesses can still connect other software and applications to their websites for free. Depending on the CMS, users can integrate payment gateways, CRM, marketing automation, etc., without any charges.

Benefits of Free Content Management Systems

A good free content management solution offers more benefits beyond its zero-cost service. Below are some of the advantages small and growing businesses can profit from using free CMS:

  • No maintenance worries. This benefit applies particularly to cloud-based free CMS. Because this type of CMS is hosted in the vendor’s server, the vendors are responsible for troubleshooting technical issues. In most cases, the vendors would also automatically update the software, which ensures that you are using the latest version and benefit from any improvements made to the platform.
  • Faster deployment. Free CMS solutions enable businesses to build and deploy a fully functional and professional-looking website quickly and easily. Various factors come into play to deliver this advantage, including usability and having pre-made templates that require little time and effort to customize.
  • Extendable functionality. While this does not apply to all free CMS, there are those that give users access to a broad range of plugins and integrations that they can utilize also for free. This is especially true for open-source CMS, which gives users free rein to modify the software’s source code to accommodate any type of extensions they want to add to the CMS.
  • Community and developer support. This benefit applies to the users of open-source free CMS. Typically, open-source platforms have a strong community of professional developers as well as other users that offer best practices, tips, and assistance to further improve the performance and functionality of a CMS platform.

Free content management solutions are not left behind when it comes to adopting the latest trends in this software category. Below are some of the latest developments in content management systems that you should watch out for:

  • Headless CMS. A headless CMS is a backend-only CMS, which means it only focuses on content creation and content management functionalities and not on where the content is being distributed. While this is technically not a new concept, headless CMS has become relevant once more because it allows for more flexibility in where structured content will be displayed (i.e., websites, mobile applications, etc.)
  • AI assistance. Artificial intelligence has penetrated content management and incorporating machine learning technology into CMS software free of charge is bound to do wonders when it comes to automating various content management functionalities. Some of the areas where AI is being utilized include automatic content tagging, analytics and optimization, automated translations, and AI-assisted editor.
  • Topic-based SEO.  This is driven by the topic cluster strategy which revolves around organizing your website’s content in a way that promotes topic-related posts together. This includes internal linking of relevant posts, closely related posts using the same or similar targeted keywords, etc.

Potential Issues

A free content management system is an easy option for small startups and growing businesses that are not yet ready to invest in premium services. It is, however, necessary to know that CMS under this category also has its downsides and these include the following:

  • Limited features. While free versions provide the basic features and functionalities to help businesses manage their content, there will be times when advanced tools will be needed and these are often only offered in paid or premium packages.
  • Unique themes are not really that unique. While pre-made themes make it easier to set up a website, it also means other users can also use the same design themes and end up being similar to each other despite the customizations made.
  • Little to no dedicated technical and customer support. Unfortunately, customer support is not commonly offered in free CMS platforms. This is a functionality often offered by vendors in their premium packages, which leaves free CMS users to a less convenient and slower process of addressing sudden technical issues.

Best Practices of Content Management

Free content management system, or CMS solutions in general, may provide the tools you need to create, manage, and keep track of your content. There, however, are some best practices you can apply to help you reap the full benefits that a good content management solution can offer:

  • Choose a CMS with modern and future-proof features. There is no longer any room for an outdated content management system free or low-cost. With the rapid developments in CMS technology, the smart option would be the platforms that get constant updates not only in terms of functionality but also security.
  • Conduct regular assessments. Content management needs to grow along with your business. This is why it is important to perform internal checks to assess if your current CMS can still keep up or if upgrades are needed.
  • Keep an eye on relevant trends. Not all trends can be useful but for effective content management, it is important to be up-t0-date on consumer trends, the latest developments in SEO strategies, as well as design trends.

Choose the Right Free Content Management System (CMS)

The selection pool for free content management sytems might be smaller compared to its paid counterpart, but choosing the right free CMS can be just as challenging. While knowing exactly what you need from CMS software definitely helps, understanding a product’s capabilities and confirming if it delivers on its promise are a must. In order to properly assess a free CMS, you can check expert and user reviews from trustworthy sources. Trying out different free CMS is also a good way to get a feel of how it works to make sure that it matches your requirements.

It is also important to assess your knowledge and capabilities when it comes to utilizing the tools and features of a free CMS. In this way, you will be able to evaluate if you can start using a CMS right away or need further training to effectively utilize the CMS you want to use.  

List of Free Content Management Systems Companies

Order by:

Newest
  • Newest
  • Score
  • User Score
Product name:
Category:
Smart Score:
Price:
User Satisf.
User reviews:
Strapi reviews

Strapi

Free Content Management Systems
8.7
$9
90%
Plone reviews

Plone

Free Content Management Systems
8.3
Free
90%
Write.as reviews

Write.as

Free Content Management Systems
8.7
$1
67%
Microweber reviews

Microweber

Free Content Management Systems
8.0
By quote
100%
monday.com reviews

monday.com

Free Content Management Systems
9.8
$8
99%
Weebly reviews

Weebly

Free Content Management Systems
9.5
$8
94%
GoDaddy Website Builder reviews

GoDaddy Website Builder

Free Content Management Systems
9.2
$9.99
93%
Strikingly reviews

Strikingly

Free Content Management Systems
9.0
$20
96%
ExpressionEngine reviews

ExpressionEngine

Free Content Management Systems
8.7
$299
100%
ConcreteCMS reviews

ConcreteCMS

Free Content Management Systems
8.6
free
-
Contentful reviews

Contentful

Free Content Management Systems
8.8
39
97%
Wistia reviews

Wistia

Free Content Management Systems
8.6
$24
98%
Pantheon.io reviews

Pantheon.io

Free Content Management Systems
8.8
$41
100%
Joomla! reviews

Joomla!

Free Content Management Systems
8.7
Free
99%
Drupal reviews

Drupal

Free Content Management Systems
9.1
free
97%

Things to consider when you invest in a SaaS

Disaster recovery and security are two main factors that need to be considered by SaaS purchasers when analyzing potential vendors.

Many SaaS vendors do not have a disaster recovery site. Therefore, ask the following questions to your shortlisted providers: How do you test your disaster recovery procedures? What is your recovery time? How often do you test? Do you have dispersed infrastructure; are your chief site and your disaster recovery site situated in different geographical locations?

You need to be aware that many SaaS vendors do not use enterprise-grade infrastructure to deploy SaaS apps. Many solutions have multiple providers. For example, there may be a firewall provider, an Internet provider, and a few others too in the mix. If a problem rears up, there is a lot of finger-pointing. This problem is common with on-premise IT platforms. The solution is to decrease the number of providers so that there is answerability to ensure they take responsibility about performance.

Ask the potential SaaS vendors the following questions about security: Is your organization SAS70 compliant? What security measures are used at your facilities? What security audits and principles does your company follow? Who manages access and identity management, web application firewalls, log file management, and network connectivity?

Needless to say, take your time to research carefully and get the answers to the above queries before you invest in an apt SaaS system.

Frequently asked questions about Free Content Management Systems

What is the best free content management system?

Based on user and expert reviews and satisfaction ratings, the best free content management system is monday.com. This cloud-based solution’s content management tool is considered one of the best in the industry when it comes to helping teams–whether on-site or remote–collaborate effectively. Furthermore, monday.com offers automation tools and templates that allow teams to spend less time on content planning and focus more on producing quality content that delivers great results.

What are the benefits of a free content management systems?

Below are some of the benefits enjoyed by the users of free content management systems:

  • Free CMS platforms are typically designed to be user-friendly even for those who are going to use one for the first time.
  • Freemium CMS enables users to take advantage of some of the advanced tools and functionalities without making any financial investment.
  • Users can save a lot of time and energy by using ready-made templates and making a few modifications instead of designing their websites from scratch.
  • There is no need to worry about version and security updates.
What are the features of free content management systems?

Different free content management systems can offer different sets of tools but below are some of the features you can typically find:

  • Design theme templates
  • Content templates
  • Standard SEO tools
  • Multi-platform optimization
  • Content archiving
  • Access to free widgets and plugins
  • Content search
What is the easiest free content management system to use?

The easiest content management system to use is WordPress. Also considered to be one of the best free content management systems, this powerful free CMS with an interface that is very easy to understand and navigate even for beginners. Extending its functions is also easy with the thousands of plugins and widgets you can choose from to make sure that your CMS meets the needs and requirements of your business.

Louie Andre

By Louie Andre

B2B & SaaS market analyst and senior writer for FinancesOnline. He is most interested in project management solutions, believing all businesses are a work in progress. From pitch deck to exit strategy, he is no stranger to project business hiccups and essentials. He has been involved in a few internet startups including a digital route planner for a triple A affiliate. His advice to vendors and users alike? "Think of benefits, not features."

Updated

Why is FinancesOnline free? Why is FinancesOnline free?

FinancesOnline is available for free for all business professionals interested in an efficient way to find top-notch SaaS solutions. We are able to keep our service free of charge thanks to cooperation with some of the vendors, who are willing to pay us for traffic and sales opportunities provided by our website. Please note, that FinancesOnline lists all vendors, we’re not limited only to the ones that pay us, and all software providers have an equal opportunity to get featured in our rankings and comparisons, win awards, gather user reviews, all in our effort to give you reliable advice that will enable you to make well-informed purchase decisions.

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