Apache Roller

Spec sheet

Product

Apache Roller is a Java-based, multi-user and group-blog server for blog sites large and small.Read 11 Oct 2026 · roller.apache.org

Deployment

The installation guide covers deployment on Tomcat with MySQL; users have also reported success with other app servers and databases.Read 11 Oct 2026 · roller.apache.org

Free plan

YesRead 22 Sep 2026 · roller.apache.org

Integrations

Roller supports blog clients that support the MetaWeblog API.Read 11 Oct 2026 · roller.apache.org

Support

Project-hosted support options are the user mailing list and issue tracker, with support provided by project volunteers.Read 11 Oct 2026 · roller.apache.org

License

Apache Roller is distributed under the Apache License, Version 2.0.Read 15 Oct 2026 · roller.apache.org

API protocols

The documentation describes Blogger and MetaWeblog XML-RPC plus the Atom Publishing Protocol for remote publishing.Read 15 Oct 2026 · fossies.org

Blog analytics

YesRead 22 Sep 2026 · roller.apache.org

Comment controls

Roller includes comment moderation and spam-prevention measures.Read 15 Oct 2026 · roller.apache.org

Comments

Roller supports comment moderation and comment spam prevention measures.Read 11 Oct 2026 · roller.apache.org

Current release

The official downloads page identifies Roller 6.1.6 as the best available general-availability release.Read 15 Oct 2026 · roller.apache.org

Deployment model

Roller is a database-driven Java web application intended for deployment on a servlet container such as Tomcat.Read 15 Oct 2026 · fossies.org

Developer extensibility

Apache developer resources cover RSS, Atom, XML-RPC, web-service automation, plugins, JRuby feeds and planet-server integrations.Read 15 Oct 2026 · cwiki.apache.org

Document formats

Current project documentation is maintained in AsciiDoc and includes installation, user and template guides.Read 15 Oct 2026 · github.com

Feeds

Blogs publish entry and comment feeds in RSS 2.0 and Atom 1.0.Read 15 Oct 2026 · roller.apache.org

Feeds and SEO

Blogs provide RSS 2.0 and Atom 1.0 entry and comment feeds, plus analytics tracking keys and blog-entry Meta description elements.Read 11 Oct 2026 · roller.apache.org

Group permissions

Group blogs provide owner, editor and drafter permission levels.Read 15 Oct 2026 · roller.apache.org

Limit: implementation effort

G2 reviewers say integrations and customization can require specialized technical skills.Read 15 Oct 2026 · g2.com

Limit: technical support

G2 reviewers complain that troubleshooting help and third-party forums are limited.Read 15 Oct 2026 · g2.com

Limit: usability

G2 reviewers describe the interface as dated or non-flashy and report a steep learning curve.Read 15 Oct 2026 · g2.com

Maker founding year

LinkedIn lists the Apache Software Foundation as founded in 1999.Read 15 Oct 2026 · linkedin.com

Maker headquarters

LinkedIn lists the Apache Software Foundation headquarters in Wilmington, Delaware.Read 15 Oct 2026 · linkedin.com

Maker identity

The Apache Software Foundation is the nonprofit organization behind the project.Read 15 Oct 2026 · linkedin.com

Maker size

LinkedIn lists the Apache Software Foundation company size as 5,001–10,000 employees.Read 15 Oct 2026 · linkedin.com

Post scheduling

YesRead 22 Sep 2026 · roller.apache.org

Praise: integration

G2 reviewers report that Roller can integrate with external systems and APIs to extend publishing workflows.Read 15 Oct 2026 · g2.com

Praise: multi-user blogging

G2 reviewers value its group-blogging, multi-user management and ability to handle substantial content volumes.Read 15 Oct 2026 · g2.com

Praise: open source

G2 reviewers repeatedly praise Roller for being open source and free to use.Read 15 Oct 2026 · g2.com

Product purpose

Apache Roller is a Java weblog server for multi-user and group blogging.Read 15 Oct 2026 · roller.apache.org

Project activity

Apache board reports describe Roller as mostly dormant, with work concentrated on dependency updates, Java compatibility and security fixes.Read 15 Oct 2026 · apache.org

Project community

The May 2026 board report lists 12 committers and 7 PMC members and calls the community small and quiet.Read 15 Oct 2026 · apache.org

Project founding

Apache board records date the Apache Roller project foundation to 20 February 2007.Read 15 Oct 2026 · apache.org

Publishing API

Roller supports blog clients using the MetaWeblog API.Read 15 Oct 2026 · roller.apache.org

Rating on G2

4.4 out of 5 from 13 reviewsRead 15 Oct 2026 · g2.com

Release availability

Roller releases are offered as source and binary archives for download without charge.Read 15 Oct 2026 · roller.apache.org

Release integrity

The project recommends verifying downloads with PGP signatures or SHA-256 or SHA-512 checksums.Read 11 Oct 2026 · roller.apache.org

Runtime requirements

The installation documentation requires a Java Development Kit, a Java EE servlet container and a relational database, with mail optional.Read 15 Oct 2026 · fossies.org

Scale

The project says Roller can support thousands of users and blogs.Read 15 Oct 2026 · roller.apache.org

Search

An embedded Lucene search engine indexes weblog entry content.Read 15 Oct 2026 · roller.apache.org

Security release news

A 27 September 2026 project post says Roller 6.1.6 fixes 18 vulnerabilities affecting features including XML-RPC, AtomPub, uploads, comments and OAuth.Read 15 Oct 2026 · rollerweblogger.org

Security reporting

Vulnerability reports should go privately to the Apache Security Team, with accepted issues receiving coordinated fixes and CVEs.Read 15 Oct 2026 · roller.apache.org

Security support policy

Security fixes target the current release line, and older releases are not patched in place.Read 15 Oct 2026 · roller.apache.org

Security updates

Security fixes are made on the current release line; older releases are not patched in place.Read 11 Oct 2026 · roller.apache.org

SEO

SEO functions include analytics tracking keys and entry-level meta descriptions.Read 15 Oct 2026 · roller.apache.org

Support channels

Project-hosted support is limited to volunteer mailing lists and the issue tracker.Read 15 Oct 2026 · roller.apache.org

Supported databases

The installation guide identifies MySQL or Apache Derby as relational database options, while project reports also mention PostgreSQL.Read 15 Oct 2026 · fossies.org

Theme customization

custom codeRead 22 Sep 2026 · roller.apache.org

Themes

Bloggers can control blog layout and style with Apache Velocity-driven templates.Read 11 Oct 2026 · roller.apache.org

Themes and templates

Blog layout and styling can be controlled with Apache Velocity templates.Read 15 Oct 2026 · roller.apache.org

Vulnerability reporting

Suspected vulnerabilities should be reported privately to the Apache Security Team rather than through public trackers or mailing lists.Read 11 Oct 2026 · roller.apache.org

Plans and prices

Every Apache Roller plan and price →

Where Specifiction places it

• Blogging Platforms#19 of 1258.7