What is October CMS used for?

October CMS is a self-hosted CMS and web platform built on the Laravel PHP framework, aimed at developers who want a simpler workflow, licensed as source-available software. It is a good fit for building client websites with Laravel, agencies standardizing on a PHP CMS and custom content-driven web platforms.

Is October CMS open source?

Yes. October CMS is open source under a custom licence. Its source code is on GitHub at octobercms/october and is written mainly in PHP.

Yes. October CMS is open source, so the software itself is free to use under the terms of its own licence. Paid plans are also available, starting at $30 per month.

Can I self-host October CMS?

Yes. October CMS can be self-hosted on your own server or infrastructure.

What are some alternatives to October CMS?

Similar open-source tools in the CMS category include Winter CMS, Bludit and WordPress. SaaS products in the same category include 1FoodMenu, ABHUB and Adobe Experience Manager.

Is October CMS actively maintained?

Yes. The most recent commit to October CMS was on 29 September 2026, and the latest release is v4.4.0, published on 30 August 2026. The project has 11k stars on GitHub.

October CMS: open-source CMS

About October CMS

October CMS is a content management system and web platform built on the Laravel PHP framework. Its creators say it was born from frustration with convoluted web development and aims to bring developers back to basics with a simpler workflow.

The README states that October CMS is source-available software under an End User License Agreement rather than a standard open-source licence, which is why the repository lists the license as Other. Installation uses Composer to create a project and then an artisan command to set up a database. Learning resources include documentation, tutorials, video series and example code in the RainLab plugin suite and demos repository, and the codebase follows PSR coding standards.

The platform was founded in 2014 and is supported by partners and contributors worldwide. It runs on your own PHP hosting, and the project publishes a security policy for reporting vulnerabilities. It suits PHP and Laravel developers and agencies who want a file-based, developer-friendly CMS for client websites.

Key features

CMS built on the Laravel framework
Installed through Composer commands
Plugin ecosystem such as RainLab
Developer-focused simple workflow
Documentation, tutorials and demos
Source-available under an EULA

Good fit for

→Building client websites with Laravel
→Agencies standardizing on a PHP CMS
→Custom content-driven web platforms

Built with: PHP; Laravel
Tags: cms; laravel; php; self-hosted; web-platform; source-available; plugins; backend

October CMS: questions and answers

What is October CMS used for?: October CMS is a self-hosted CMS and web platform built on the Laravel PHP framework, aimed at developers who want a simpler workflow, licensed as source-available software. It is a good fit for building client websites with Laravel, agencies standardizing on a PHP CMS and custom content-driven web platforms.
Is October CMS open source?: Yes. October CMS is open source under a custom licence. Its source code is on GitHub at octobercms/october and is written mainly in PHP.
Is October CMS free?: Yes. October CMS is open source, so the software itself is free to use under the terms of its own licence. Paid plans are also available, starting at $30 per month.
Can I self-host October CMS?: Yes. October CMS can be self-hosted on your own server or infrastructure.
What are some alternatives to October CMS?: Similar open-source tools in the CMS category include Winter CMS, Bludit and WordPress. SaaS products in the same category include 1FoodMenu, ABHUB and Adobe Experience Manager.
Is October CMS actively maintained?: Yes. The most recent commit to October CMS was on 29 September 2026, and the latest release is v4.4.0, published on 30 August 2026. The project has 11k stars on GitHub.