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ProcessWire

Lean open-source PHP CMS and framework with a flexible field system and a clean API.

Open sourceSelf-hostableContent management systems
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About ProcessWire

ProcessWire is an open-source PHP CMS and content management framework that has been developed since the early 2010s, largely by its creator Ryan Cramer with a loyal community. Everything is built from fields and templates: you define what data each page holds, and the system gives editors matching forms in a tidy admin. Developers then pull content with a jQuery-like PHP API and write front-end markup however they like, with no theme layer imposing structure. That makes it a favourite of freelancers and agencies who want full control over HTML, good performance and a stable core that rarely breaks between versions. The downsides are a small ecosystem, few ready-made themes, and documentation that assumes some PHP comfort. The core is free and released under the Mozilla Public License 2.0; a handful of commercial Pro modules add extras. It runs on standard PHP and MySQL hosting and is edited in the browser.

Best for: PHP developers who want total control over markup with a stable, simple core.

Pros and cons

What works

  • Very flexible fields and templates for any content shape
  • Clean PHP API that's quick to learn
  • Stable core with careful, backwards-compatible releases

Why people leave

  • Small community and few ready-made themes
  • Not aimed at non-developers building their own site
  • Development leans heavily on one lead maintainer

Top ProcessWire alternatives

See all 5
  1. 1Craft CMS logo
    Craft CMS

    Similar fields-and-templates approach with a more polished editor and plugin store.

    66.5
  2. 2Kirby logo
    Kirby

    Developer-first PHP CMS that drops the database entirely.

    62.6
  3. 3Statamic logo
    Statamic

    Laravel-based CMS with Git-friendly flat files.

    59.6
  4. 4WordPress logo
    WordPress

    Far bigger ecosystem if clients want themes and plugins.

    57.2
  5. 5Drupal logo
    Drupal

    Open-source PHP CMS with a larger community for very big projects.

    55.3

Why people left ProcessWire

In reviewers' own words, from reviews of the apps they moved to. These are their opinions, not ours.

No switching stories yet. If you moved away from ProcessWire, review the app you switched to and tell us why.

Reviews

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ProcessWire: common questions

Is ProcessWire free?

Yes. ProcessWire is free, open-source software that you can host yourself.

Is ProcessWire open source?

Yes. The source code is on GitHub at processwire/processwire. You can also run it on your own server.

What platforms does ProcessWire run on?

ProcessWire is available for Self-hosted and Web.

What are the best alternatives to ProcessWire?

The highest-ranked ProcessWire alternatives right now are Craft CMS, Kirby and Statamic. See the full ranked list for pricing, platforms and verified facts.

See all 5 ProcessWire alternatives