ExpressionEngine vs Modern Campus CMS

ExpressionEngine is an open source CMS from Packet Tide for storing, managing and publishing website content. Its flexible channels and fields support custom content types, editorial workflows, multilingual content, SEO tools and a media library. Templates can include HTML, JavaScript, PHP and ExpressionEngine tags, and the CMS provides more than 20 field types. Editors can update content on a site's front end, while administrators can also bring the control panel there. One installation can manage multiple sites and share design, content and members; each additional MSM site requires an additional MSM Pro License. The free Core plan allows one control panel user. Pro costs $249, paid once, includes unlimited control panel users and one year of updates. Continued updates are available through renewal options, including a Pro Renewal Subscription at $49 a year. ExpressionEngine runs on web, self-hosted and API platforms. Learning resources include documentation, forums and ExpressionEngine University.

Modern Campus CMS is a web content management system marketed exclusively for higher education. It provides editorial workflows, custom roles, SEO tools, a media library, and custom content types. Editors can use WYSIWYG tools, drag-and-drop interfaces, forms, and surveys, while Layout Builder offers low-code page creation for non-technical users. Workflow management and page health checks support review before publication. Automated testing can check accessibility against WCAG 2.2, and the CMS supports on-brand webpages and search-optimized blog posts. It operates as a cloud-based solution, with browser access and publishing to institution production servers. Hosting includes DDoS protection, a web application firewall, and regular operating system patches. Authentication options include LDAP, CAS, Shibboleth, and SAML 2.0 SSO with validated identity providers. Modules and managed services can extend the system; modules are available for purchase. An August 2026 release added AI help for page titles and descriptions, requiring an institution OpenAI API key. Pricing is available on request. Modern Campus no longer sells self-hosting, but continues supporting existing customers.