Best Content Management Systems in 2026
Updated
In short: Drupal is ranked #1 of 64 as of 3 October 2026, ahead of Webflow CMS and Prismic. The best-ranked option with a free plan is Webflow CMS. The lowest first paid tier on this page is ExpressionEngine at $3.25/mo.
Publishing needs often depend on how a CMS structures content and supports the people who maintain it. Compare custom content types and user roles alongside editorial workflows, and consider platform type as part of that picture. Media libraries, multilingual content and SEO tools add other dimensions to assess. Free plans and paid-from pricing provide cost context as you weigh those capabilities. The ranking begins with Drupal, Webflow CMS and Prismic, with ExpressionEngine also among the early entries. Use the listed criteria to judge which systems align with your publishing setup, the content you manage and the editorial processes your team needs.
64 content management systems ranked on what their makers publish — plans and prices, free tiers, platforms and the facts on their own pages.
| # | Platform | Score | Why | From | Free plan | Paid from | Platform type | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Drupal | 8.8 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | Free | Yes | — | hybrid | View |
| 2 |  Webflow CMS | 8.8 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | $15/mo | Yes | $25/mo | hosted | View |
| 3 | Prismic | 8.7 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | $10/mo | Yes | $10/mo | Agentic web platform and headless CMS | View |
| 4 | ExpressionEngine | 8.3 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | $3.25/mo | Yes | $249/mo | self_hosted | View |
| 5 |  MODX | 8.0 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | $36/mo | Yes | $90/mo | hybrid | View |
| 6 | Xperience by Kentico | 7.9 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | — | — | — | View |
| 7 | Magnolia DXP | 7.7 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | $3,500/mo | Yes | — | — | View |
| 8 |  Umbraco CMS | 7.3 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | €45/mo | Yes | — | hybrid | View |
| 9 | Strapi | 7.3 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | $35/mo | Yes | $35/mo | Open-source Headless CMS | View |
| 10 | Wagtail | 7.2 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | Yes | — | hybrid | View |
| 11 | TYPO3 CMS | 7.2 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | Yes | — | self_hosted | View |
| 12 | Plone | 7.1 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | Yes | — | hybrid | View |
| 13 |  DNN | 7.1 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | Yes | — | self_hosted | View |
| 14 | Craft CMS | 7.1 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | Yes | — | hybrid | View |
| 15 | Neos CMS | 7.0 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | Yes | — | self_hosted | View |
| 16 | django CMS | 6.9 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | Yes | — | self_hosted | View |
| 17 | Joomla | 6.9 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | Yes | — | hybrid | View |
| 18 |  Concrete CMS | 6.9 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | Yes | — | hybrid | View |
| 19 | Orchard Core | 6.8 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | Yes | — | self_hosted | View |
| 20 | Statamic | 6.8 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | Yes | — | self_hosted | View |
| 21 |  Silverstripe CMS | 6.7 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | Yes | — | self_hosted | View |
| 22 | Contao | 6.7 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | Yes | — | self_hosted | View |
| 23 | Grav | 6.6 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | Yes | — | self_hosted | View |
| 24 | ProcessWire | 6.6 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | Yes | — | self_hosted | View |
| 25 | October CMS | 6.6 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | $26/mo | Yes | — | self_hosted | View |
Is your platform on this list?
Numbered spots on this list can be sponsored. They are labelled, and the editorial order and scores never change for payment.
Questions about this list
Which content management system is ranked first on Inferse?
Drupal is ranked #1 of 64 with a score of 8.8. Webflow CMS is second and Prismic third.
How many of these have a free plan?
7 of the 25 on this page publish a free plan on their own pricing pages.
Which is the cheapest paid option?
On this page, ExpressionEngine has the lowest first paid tier we found: $3.25/mo.
How is this list ranked?
Ranked on what each maker publishes, open and connectable first: a public API, open-source code, the depth of its documentation and a free tier to try it on. Model lists are sorted by the figure in their title, exactly as each provider publishes it. Paid placements never change a rank.