Best open-source alternatives to Wix

Ghost is an open source publishing platform built as a headless Node.js CMS. It is aimed at publishers, creators, and teams that want a professional, modern system for running a website or publication while connecting to other tools through its API. The project offers both a self-hosted route and a managed Ghost(Pro) service. For self-hosting, the README points users to a CLI-based quickstart for local or production installs, along with documentation for hosting, updates, themes, development, and contributing. The README also highlights automatic SSL setup for production installs and access to the Content API for custom integrations.

WordPress is a self-hosted publishing platform intended for creating websites, blogs, and other content-driven sites. The README presents it as the “Semantic Personal Publishing Platform” and frames it as a widely used project supported by a large contributor community. It is meant for users who want to install the software on their own web server and manage a site through a browser-based admin interface. The installation process described is the classic five-minute setup: upload the files, open the installer, configure database connection details, and complete the setup through the login page. The README also notes built-in upgrade procedures, import tools for migrating from other systems, and a plugin API for extending core functionality. It positions WordPress as free software released under the GPL, with requirements centered on PHP and MySQL-compatible databases.

Webstudio is presented as an open-source visual development platform aimed at developers, designers, and cross-functional teams. It is positioned as a product that lets users build visually while retaining ownership of their data, components, and infrastructure. The README indicates that the project can be used as a hosted service or self-hosted by rolling out one’s own instance. It also points readers to documentation, design resources, contributing guides, community discussions, and project tracking links, suggesting an active ecosystem around both usage and contribution. The license section further shows that the core is open source under AGPL-3.0-or-later, while one optional package is proprietary.

Craft CMS is a self-hosted content management system designed for teams and developers who want to build custom digital experiences rather than adapt to a rigid content structure. It emphasizes a user-friendly control panel, flexible content modeling, and a templating workflow centered on Twig, making it suitable for websites, headless backends, and bespoke commerce experiences. The project also includes a built-in plugin marketplace and an extension framework for customization, along with an auto-generated GraphQL API for headless use cases. The README points users to official docs, tutorials, and installation guidance, and notes that the application runs as a PHP service that connects to MySQL or PostgreSQL for content storage.

Vvveb is an open-source CMS designed for building websites, blogs, and ecommerce stores with an emphasis on ease of use and extensibility. It combines a traditional content management workflow with a visual page builder, letting users assemble pages through drag-and-drop editing while also managing content, media, themes, and plugins from the admin area. The project is aimed at site builders, developers, and operators who want a self-hosted platform with support for multi-site deployments, localization, role-based access, and ecommerce capabilities. It also offers headless usage through GraphQL and REST APIs, built-in SEO and security features, and backup/import-export tools to simplify deployment and migration.

Backdrop is a content management system aimed at non-technical users who need a flexible way to manage website content. The README presents it as a full-featured CMS that can power blogs, image galleries, social networks, intranets, and other site types without requiring much technical expertise. It is positioned as an out-of-the-box platform with a focus on ease of use and quick learning for developers. The project is a fork of Drupal, and it emphasizes extensibility through APIs. The README also points readers to the Backdrop Handbook for user guidance and to the API documentation for developers, indicating that it serves both site builders and contributors working on the core system.

Concrete CMS is an open source content management system maintained in the project's official development repository. It is intended for people who want to build and manage websites, and the README emphasizes community involvement through a contributor guide and public forums. The repository's README is primarily oriented toward developers and contributors rather than end users. It provides a simple source-based installation path: clone the repository and run Composer to install third-party dependencies. The README also points users to the official documentation site for setup and usage guidance, and notes that this repository covers Concrete CMS 9.0 and later.

Bolt is an open source CMS and content platform designed for building and running modern websites. It is positioned as a starting point for new sites and can operate either as a traditional CMS or as a headless/decoupled backend, making it useful for teams that want flexibility in how content is delivered. The project is built on the PHP Symfony stack and emphasizes extensibility through custom project code, Symfony extensions, and Composer-installed add-ons. The README highlights YAML-based configuration, multilingual support, built-in internationalisation, and an editor available in multiple languages. It also exposes REST and GraphQL APIs out of the box, and includes dummy content to support development or client demonstrations.

BigTree CMS is a web content management system intended for organizations that need to build and maintain websites with a structured admin interface. The README indicates it is a mature project with a public LGPL license and an active changelog covering CMS capabilities such as page editing, media handling, redirects, and site integrity checks. The project appears aimed at developers and site editors working in PHP/MySQL environments. It supports modern PHP versions, uses MySQL as its database backend, and includes features like inline editing, matrix/callout content fields, multi-site handling, and an experimental GraphQL API. The README also mentions cloud-related integrations such as AWS and Instagram Basic Display API support, suggesting it can connect to external services when needed.

Faster and easier management of website contents, scalable for small businesses to large corporations.