Free
$0
one-time
Downloadable, self-hosted Concrete CMS core under the MIT open-source license. Hosting, maintenance and extensions are separate costs.
Check current pricing →C
Concrete CMS (Concrete5)
Concrete CMS is an open-source PHP and MySQL content management system for websites, portals, intranets, multilingual projects and structured content.
Digital Asset ManagementOpen Source CMSWeb Content Management
Concrete CMS (Concrete5) Decision Snapshot
A quick way to understand who this product may suit, where its limits matter, and which facts are most relevant before you compare alternatives.
Platforms
API, SaaS hosting, Self-hosted server, Web
TechZella assessment
8.6/10
Overview
Concrete CMS is an open-source web content management system maintained by PortlandLabs, Inc. The project began in Portland, Oregon, around 2003 and was previously known as concrete5.
The platform combines in-context page editing with developer tools for custom themes, add-ons, structured data, workflows, permissions and multi-site deployments. Organizations can run it on their own infrastructure or use managed hosting from PortlandLabs.
Concrete CMS uses PHP and MySQL. Version 9.5.4 was listed as the current release on September 8, 2026. The core software is distributed under the MIT open-source license.
Concrete CMS (Concrete5) Pros & Cons
Pros
- Free and open-source core with an MIT license.
- Strong in-context editing for nontechnical contributors.
- Granular permissions and workflows for distributed teams.
- Supports self-hosting, managed hosting and custom infrastructure.
- Includes multilingual, structured content and REST API capabilities.
- Marketplace supports themes, add-ons and third-party integrations.
Cons
- Self-hosting requires PHP, MySQL and ongoing technical maintenance.
- Managed hosting plans restrict access to the source code.
- Some integrations and advanced capabilities require marketplace extensions.
- Enterprise hosting and custom SLA pricing requires a sales consultation.
- Complex permissions, multilingual and multi-site setups may require specialist implementation.
Concrete CMS (Concrete5) Pricing & Plans
Free Demo
$0
trial
No-cost hosted demo with a limited selection of add-ons and themes.
Check current pricing →Starter
$4.99
month, billed annually
Managed hosting for one site editor, with managed upgrades, nightly backups, 10,000 monthly page views and 2GB storage.
Check current pricing →Business
$19
month, billed annually
Managed hosting for five site editors, with CDN, SSL, DDoS protection, nightly backups, 50,000 monthly page views and 20GB storage.
Check current pricing →Custom SLA
Contact sales
custom
Custom hosting and support for mission-critical applications, including staging, production infrastructure, CI/CD and high-availability options.
Check current pricing →Pricing may change. Verify current plans on the vendor's website.
Concrete CMS (Concrete5) Competitors & Alternatives
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Direct competitors
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Concrete CMS (Concrete5) Features
Content Management
- In-context page editing
- Block-based layouts
- Page types and templates
- Scheduled publishing
- Version tracking
- SEO tools
- File manager and asset organization
- Forms, calendars, search and navigation
Governance and Collaboration
- Role-based permissions
- Page and file-level access controls
- Approval workflows
- Contributor groups
- Multilingual editing permissions
- Multi-site management
Developer Tools
- PHP and MySQL architecture
- Custom themes
- Custom add-ons
- Express structured data objects
- Composer installation
- Database access through Doctrine DBAL and PDO
- REST API
Integrations
- Mailchimp integration
- Shopify integration
- Snipcart ecommerce integration
- Stripe subscription integration
- Amazon S3 storage integration
- Azure Blob Storage integration
- CDN integrations
- Freshdesk and Tawk.to widgets
Hosting and Operations
- Self-hosted deployment
- Managed SaaS hosting
- Nightly backups on managed plans
- Free SSL on Business hosting
- DDoS protection on Business hosting
- GitLab deployment for custom SLA environments
- Staging and production environments on custom plans
Concrete CMS (Concrete5) Specifications
| Product type | Open-source web content management system |
|---|---|
| License | MIT |
| Core language | PHP |
| Database | MySQL |
| Platform | Web |
| Deployment | Self-hosted or managed SaaS |
| API | REST API with documented endpoints and OAuth2-related authentication |
| Integrations | Marketplace integrations include Mailchimp, Shopify, Snipcart, Stripe, Amazon S3, Azure Blob Storage, Freshdesk and Tawk.to |
| Free trial | No-cost hosted demo available |
| Latest verified release | 9.5.4, released September 8, 2026 |
| Company size | 11-50 employees, according to LinkedIn |
| Headquarters | Portland, Oregon, United States |
Our evidence-based assessment
TechZella Score
A proprietary editorial score based on product capabilities, usability, value, performance, support and user sentiment evidence.
8.6/10Moderate confidence
Concrete CMS documents broad core functionality, detailed permissions, multilingual tools, structured data, marketplace extensions and REST API access. The software is free under the MIT license, while managed hosting and support carry separate fees. No reliable public aggregate review rating was included.
Methodology v1.0. The assessment weighs feature coverage (25%), ease of use (15%), value for money (20%), performance (15%), support (10%) and user sentiment (15%), using researched product evidence and verified review evidence where available. It is a TechZella editorial assessment, not a direct user-review average.
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FAQ
Is Concrete CMS free?
Yes. The downloadable core is free and open source under the MIT license. Hosting, extensions, development and support may cost extra.
What is Concrete5?
Concrete5 is the former product name. The project rebranded as Concrete CMS during its version 9 development cycle.
Can Concrete CMS be self-hosted?
Yes. Concrete CMS can be installed on infrastructure that supports its PHP and MySQL requirements.
Does Concrete CMS provide an API?
Yes. Version 9 includes a REST API with OAuth2-related authentication and endpoints for pages, blocks, files, users, groups, sites and other resources.
Does Concrete CMS offer integrations?
Yes. The marketplace lists integrations for services including Mailchimp, Shopify, Snipcart, Stripe, Amazon S3, Azure Blob Storage, Freshdesk and Tawk.to.
Is there a free trial?
The official site provides a no-cost hosted demo with a limited selection of themes and add-ons. Paid hosting is required for continued managed operation.