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SPECIFICTION
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Contao

contao.org

Free plan WebLinuxAPISelf-hosted
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Spec score 8.9 #17 of 165 in Content Management Systems

What it is

Contao is a free, open-source content management system for professional websites and scalable web applications. One installation can operate multiple websites and multilingual sites. Editors can work in TinyMCE, change multiple records together, and restore earlier versions. Administrators can assign permissions to individual backend fields for users or groups, while editorial workflows, custom roles, custom content types, a media library, and multilingual content support organize publishing. The core includes calendar, news and blog, newsletter, form-generation, and full-text-search modules. SEO features include schema.org data and generated XML sitemaps, with stated WCAG 2.1 AA support. Passkeys or two-factor authentication and account locking address access security. Contao runs on web servers with current PHP and MySQL, and can be installed through Contao Manager or Composer. It is based on Symfony and extendable through its directory or Packagist.

Spec sheet

What it does
Contao is an open source CMS for creating professional websites and scalable web applications.Read 11 Oct 2026 · contao.org
Intended users
The homepage cites use for landing pages, portals, e-commerce, and enterprise sites.Read 11 Oct 2026 · contao.org
Deployment
Contao can be installed as a preconfigured Managed Edition with Contao Manager or added as a Symfony bundle using Composer.Read 11 Oct 2026 · contao.org
Free plan
YesRead 22 Sep 2026 · contao.org
Integrations
Contao is based on Symfony and can be extended with packages from the Contao extension directory or Packagist.Read 11 Oct 2026 · contao.org
Security
Contao supports passkeys or two-factor authentication and automatically locks accounts after too many failed login attempts.Read 11 Oct 2026 · contao.org
Privacy
The homepage says Contao uses double opt-in for subscriptions and registrations and keeps a log for the legally required storage period.Read 11 Oct 2026 · contao.org
Support
The project offers free forum support from its community and professional support through Contao partners.Read 11 Oct 2026 · contao.org
Headquarters
3250 Lyss, SwitzerlandRead 28 Sep 2026 · contao.org
Founded
2006Read 28 Sep 2026 · contao.org
Accessibility and SEO
Contao describes support for WCAG 2.1 level AA and provides SEO features including schema.org structured data and automatically generated XML sitemaps.Read 11 Oct 2026 · contao.org
Built-in modules
The core distribution includes calendar, news/blog, and newsletter modules.Read 11 Oct 2026 · contao.org
Custom content types
YesRead 22 Sep 2026 · contao.org
Custom user roles
YesRead 22 Sep 2026 · contao.org
Editing
Editors can use TinyMCE, edit multiple records at once, and restore prior versions.Read 11 Oct 2026 · contao.org
Editorial workflows
YesRead 22 Sep 2026 · contao.org
Forms and search
The CMS includes a form generator and full-text search with phrase, wildcard, and AND/OR searching.Read 11 Oct 2026 · contao.org
Media library
YesRead 22 Sep 2026 · contao.org
Multilingual content
YesRead 22 Sep 2026 · contao.org
Multiple sites and languages
One Contao installation can run multiple websites and support multilingual websites.Read 11 Oct 2026 · contao.org
Permissions
Access rights can be set for individual backend form fields and assigned by user or group.Read 11 Oct 2026 · contao.org
Platform type
self_hostedRead 22 Sep 2026 · contao.org
SEO tools
YesRead 22 Sep 2026 · contao.org
Server requirements
The documentation says Contao runs on web servers providing current PHP and MySQL, and recommends PHP 8.4 or later and MySQL 8.0 or equivalent MariaDB.Read 11 Oct 2026 · docs.contao.org
Support period
The homepage states that long-term support versions receive four years of support.Read 11 Oct 2026 · contao.org

Plans and prices

Contao CMS Free Open source software · LGPL-3.0 · Free use, including for commercial projects Read 11 Oct 2026 · contao.org

Every Contao plan and price →

Strong points and limits

Strong points

  • Free open-source software, including commercial use
  • One installation supports multiple websites and languages
  • Field-level permissions for users or groups
  • Built-in forms, search, calendar, news, and newsletter modules
  • Passkeys or two-factor authentication available

Limits

  • No free trial is listed
  • Requires a web server with current PHP and MySQL
  • Self-hosted deployment requires installation and server management

Who it suits

Contao suits teams building multilingual sites, portals, e-commerce projects, landing pages, or enterprise sites. Its roles, workflows, permissions, and publishing modules fit organizations with multiple contributors.

Verdict

Contao provides a broad self-hosted CMS with multilingual publishing, granular permissions, built-in modules, and stated accessibility and SEO support. Its free license and Symfony-based extensibility suit organizations prepared to operate their own PHP and MySQL environment.

Where Specifiction places it

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