CMS & Blog apps you can self-host — Oct 2026
If you are shopping for cms & blog software you can actually own, this guide walks the shortlist.
Rather than a flat list, we ranked these 13 tools by how many times people actually started them on PickYour.App.
How they stack up
| # | App | Category | Installs | From |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | WordPress The open-source CMS that powers the web | CMS & Blog | 212 000 | €0.023/hr |
| 2 | Strapi Headless CMS with a flexible API | CMS & Blog | 126 000 | €0.046/hr |
| 3 | Ghost Publishing platform for modern creators | CMS & Blog | 98 000 | €0.023/hr |
| 4 | Directus Instant backend & headless CMS | CMS & Blog | 41 000 | €0.046/hr |
| 5 | PayloadCMS Open-source Node.js headless CMS — TypeScript-native, code-first | CMS & Blog | 6 800 | €0.046/hr |
| 6 | Wagtail Django CMS loved by developers and editors — Python all the way | CMS & Blog | 5 400 | €0.046/hr |
| 7 | Drupal Enterprise-grade open-source CMS — secure, modular, endlessly extensible | CMS & Blog | 4 200 | €0.046/hr |
| 8 | Joomla Award-winning open-source CMS — multilingual sites out of the box | CMS & Blog | 3 300 | €0.046/hr |
| 9 | Grav Modern flat-file CMS — no database, fast, effortless to manage | CMS & Blog | 3 100 | €0.023/hr |
| 10 | ProcessWire Friendly yet powerful open-source CMS & API — flexible by design | CMS & Blog | 2 800 | €0.023/hr |
| 11 | Statamic Laravel flat-file CMS — modern, elegant, no database required | CMS & Blog | 2 400 | €0.046/hr |
| 12 | October CMS CMS and platform on Laravel — creator-friendly, developer-ready | CMS & Blog | 2 200 | €0.046/hr |
| 13 | KeystoneJS Headless CMS on Node.js and GraphQL — content apps built in code | CMS & Blog | 2 100 | €0.046/hr |
Picking between them
WordPress
The core loop is what WordPress does best. Spec: 1 vCPU, 2 GB RAM, 25 GB disk. Start here if you want the safe pick.
Strapi
Teams pick Strapi when they need the basics done well. Spec: 2 vCPU, 4 GB RAM, 50 GB disk. If the top pick feels heavy, this is the usual alternative.
Ghost
Ghost covers the essentials without demanding a manual. Spec: 1 vCPU, 2 GB RAM, 20 GB disk. Newer to the catalog, climbing steadily.
Directus
The core loop is what Directus does best. Spec: 2 vCPU, 4 GB RAM, 50 GB disk. Lesser known, often a better fit for smaller teams.
Sizing and cost
Every app in this list runs on our Pay as you go plan. The heaviest spec here wants 2 vCPU and 4 GB of RAM — about €0.046 per hour, billed only while the server is on. Each app page shows its recommended plan.
Generated 2026-10-22 from live catalog data · all guides