October CMS
Web content management software
- Features
- Ease of use
- Ease of management
- Quality of support
- Affordability
- Market presence
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$39 per license
Free Trial
Free version unavailable
Small
Medium
Large
- Arts, entertainment, and recreation
- Media and communications
- Accommodation and food services
What is October CMS
October CMS is an open-source content management system built on the Laravel PHP framework for developing and managing website content. It targets developers and teams that want a code-first CMS with theming, templating, and a plugin architecture for extending functionality. Typical use cases include marketing sites, content-driven websites, and custom web applications where developers control the stack. It is commonly deployed on standard PHP hosting and can be self-hosted.
Laravel-based developer workflow
October CMS is built on Laravel, which aligns with common PHP development practices and tooling. Developers can work with familiar concepts such as MVC patterns, Composer dependencies, and environment-based configuration. This can reduce friction for teams already standardized on Laravel. It also supports building custom functionality as first-class code rather than relying only on admin configuration.
Extensible plugin ecosystem
The platform supports modular extensions through plugins, enabling teams to add features without modifying core code. This approach helps keep upgrades cleaner compared with heavily customized core changes. Plugins can cover common needs such as forms, SEO helpers, and integrations, depending on availability and maintenance. The architecture supports building private plugins for organization-specific requirements.
Self-hosted control and portability
As a self-hosted, open-source CMS, October CMS can run on common infrastructure and typical PHP hosting environments. Organizations can control data residency, security posture, and deployment schedules. This can be important for teams that cannot use fully managed SaaS content platforms. It also avoids vendor lock-in associated with proprietary hosting-only offerings.
Requires developer-led implementation
October CMS is primarily oriented toward developers, and many projects require custom theme and plugin work. Non-technical editors may find the experience less guided than platforms designed around marketer-first workflows. Implementation typically involves setting up hosting, deployment pipelines, and ongoing maintenance. Teams without PHP/Laravel expertise may face higher total effort.
Limited enterprise governance features
Compared with enterprise-focused web content management suites, October CMS typically requires additional work to match advanced governance needs. Features such as complex approval workflows, granular content governance, and enterprise-grade auditing may not be available out of the box. Organizations may need to rely on custom development or third-party plugins to fill gaps. This can increase operational complexity for large, multi-team deployments.
Plugin quality and lifecycle variability
Functionality often depends on third-party plugins whose maintenance and security practices vary by author. Some plugins may lag behind core releases or PHP/Laravel version changes, creating upgrade constraints. Teams may need to review plugin code, pin versions, or fork plugins to maintain stability. This adds ongoing technical oversight compared with fully managed ecosystems.
Plan & Pricing
| Plan | Price | Key features & notes |
|---|---|---|
| One Free License | Free (first year) | One year of system updates included; extendable for $39/year afterwards; suitable for non-commercial and commercial projects. |
| Buy a Single License | $39 per license (one-time) | One year of system updates included. Extendable for $39/year afterwards. Intended per website (one installation = one Project License). |
| Subscribe for Unlimited Licenses | $30 per month (billed monthly) or $26 per month ($312 billed annually) | Unlimited licenses for multiple projects; Unlimited subscribers gain access to the October CMS Partner Program; billing options: monthly or annual. |
