What is Orchard Core used for?

Orchard Core is a modular, multi-tenant application framework plus a CMS for ASP.NET Core, open source and shipped with many built-in modules. It is a good fit for content-driven sites on ASP.NET Core, multi-tenant SaaS platforms in .NET, and intranets and corporate portals.

Is Orchard Core open source?

Yes. Orchard Core is open source under the BSD-3-Clause licence. Its source code is on GitHub at OrchardCMS/OrchardCore and is written mainly in C#.

Is Orchard Core free?

Yes. Orchard Core is open source, so the software itself is free to use.

Can I self-host Orchard Core?

Yes. Orchard Core can be self-hosted on your own server or infrastructure.

What is Orchard Core an alternative to?

Orchard Core is an open-source alternative to Xperience by Kentico. Other open-source alternatives to Xperience by Kentico include Oqtane, Umbraco CMS and Piranha CMS.

Is Orchard Core actively maintained?

Yes. The most recent commit to Orchard Core was on 2 October 2026, and the latest release is v3.0.1, published on 9 July 2026. The project has 8.2k stars on GitHub.

Orchard Core: open-source CMS

About Orchard Core

Orchard Core is made up of two projects. The Orchard Core Framework is used to build modular, multi-tenant applications on ASP.NET Core, and Orchard Core CMS is a web content management system built on top of that framework. Both are open source and written in C#.

The maintainers say version 3.0.1 is ready for production use, including large mission-critical applications, and the project follows the latest .NET releases. A reference of built-in modules shows the features that are provided out of the box, issue milestones show the plans for upcoming releases, and documentation covers getting started. You can also test drive Orchard Core as a user before building with it.

Support comes from searching documentation with a Gurubase AI assistant, opening issues, starting community discussions and joining chat. Orchard Core is licensed under BSD-3-Clause, and you host it yourself on any environment that runs ASP.NET Core. It suits .NET developers and agencies building content sites, intranets or multi-tenant SaaS platforms.

Key features

Modular application framework for ASP.NET Core
Multi-tenant application architecture
Content management system on top of the framework
Built-in modules reference
Production-ready release line
Test drive mode for evaluation

Good fit for

→Content-driven sites on ASP.NET Core
→Multi-tenant SaaS platforms in .NET
→Intranets and corporate portals

Built with: C#
Tags: cms; aspnet-core; dotnet; multi-tenant; modular; csharp; framework; content-management

Orchard Core: questions and answers

What is Orchard Core used for?: Orchard Core is a modular, multi-tenant application framework plus a CMS for ASP.NET Core, open source and shipped with many built-in modules. It is a good fit for content-driven sites on ASP.NET Core, multi-tenant SaaS platforms in .NET, and intranets and corporate portals.
Is Orchard Core open source?: Yes. Orchard Core is open source under the BSD-3-Clause licence. Its source code is on GitHub at OrchardCMS/OrchardCore and is written mainly in C#.
Is Orchard Core free?: Yes. Orchard Core is open source, so the software itself is free to use.
Can I self-host Orchard Core?: Yes. Orchard Core can be self-hosted on your own server or infrastructure.
What is Orchard Core an alternative to?: Orchard Core is an open-source alternative to Xperience by Kentico. Other open-source alternatives to Xperience by Kentico include Oqtane, Umbraco CMS and Piranha CMS.
Is Orchard Core actively maintained?: Yes. The most recent commit to Orchard Core was on 2 October 2026, and the latest release is v3.0.1, published on 9 July 2026. The project has 8.2k stars on GitHub.