MODX

Open-source content management, honestly reviewed. No marketing fluff, just what you get when you self-host it.

TL;DR

• What it is: Open-source (GPL-2.0) PHP CMS and application framework, in active development since 2004 [README]. Not a page builder — a blank-canvas framework where you control every byte of markup.
• Who it’s for: Web development agencies and backend developers who need pixel-perfect control over HTML, template logic, and access permissions. Not for non-technical founders [1][4].
• Cost savings: Self-hosted MODX Revolution is free software. MODX Cloud (managed hosting) starts at $30/month. Compared to mid-tier WordPress-managed hosting at $25–50/month, the savings on the software side are minimal — the real value is control and security, not cost.
• Key strength: Complete separation of template from content, no markup restrictions, a serious security track record, and multi-site/multi-domain support out of the box [README][website].
• Key weakness: One of the steeper learning curves in the CMS category. Reviewers consistently warn that if you’re used to WordPress — or aren’t a developer at all — MODX will fight you [1][4][5].

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What is MODX

MODX Revolution is an open-source PHP CMS and application framework. Its GitHub repository describes it as “the world’s fastest, most customizable Open Source PHP CMS” [README]. The project has been around since 2004 and positions itself as the antidote to what its community calls “legacy CMS” — meaning WordPress, Drupal, and Joomla, where theme systems, plugin conflicts, and template spaghetti make clean HTML almost impossible [website].

The core idea is separation of concerns taken seriously. Content, presentation, and functionality live in distinct layers. Templates in MODX are plain HTML files with Smarty-like tags — you’re not inheriting a theme framework, you’re writing exactly what you want and inserting content where you say it goes. There are no forced wrapper divs, no theme inheritance chains, no plugin that silently loads jQuery three times.

The project sits at 1,395 GitHub stars — modest by modern open-source standards, but MODX predates the GitHub-star era. The community lives primarily in their forums at community.modx.com and the MODX Community Slack, rather than GitHub Issues [README]. MODX LLC maintains the core and also sells MODX Cloud, their managed hosting product built around the same engine.

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Why people choose it

The SoftwareAdvice reviews [1][4][5] paint a consistent picture: MODX has a small but deeply loyal developer following. The people who love it have usually used it for years. A reviewer who has used it for nine-plus years writes: “It is BY FAR the best CMS/CMF that I’ve EVER used” — and then immediately qualifies that with: “that comes with a nice, juicy grain of salt. I have the pleasure of working with a team that has dived head-first into MODX and has learned it inside and out” [1].

That qualification is worth taking seriously, because the same reviewers who love MODX also warn about who it’s for. The same review continues: “If you’re not a developer (either backend or frontend) you’re going to have a hard time. MODX is NOT for those who are used to the relative simplicity of something like WordPress.” [1][4].

Versus WordPress. This is the primary comparison MODX draws. The security argument is strong: MODX has a genuine multi-year track record with fewer publicly disclosed exploits than WordPress, which is the most-attacked CMS on the internet by volume simply because it’s the biggest target [website]. Several reviewers note they switched to MODX specifically after WordPress sites were compromised. One developer writes: “MODX websites are lightweight, fast-loading, and SEO optimized by default. I can build complete and beautiful websites with all the functionality I want without being handicapped like I was with WordPress” [website testimonial].

The performance argument is also credible. WordPress’s default behavior loads everything — widgets, comments, embeds, the block editor assets — whether you need them or not. MODX’s template system is built around explicit inclusion: nothing loads unless you put it there. The result is significantly lighter pages for developers who know what they’re doing.

Versus Drupal/Joomla. MODX’s access control system (called ACLs) is regularly cited as a standout feature. The ability to restrict content, menus, and even template variables down to individual user roles is more granular than most CMSes in the free tier [1][2]. For agencies managing multi-client sites or complex permission schemes, this matters.

The agency angle. A consistent theme across reviews is that web agencies are the primary adopters. One reviewer: “Our digital agency loves MODX and most importantly, our clients find it far easier to use and maintain than other systems” [website testimonial]. The agency model works because the developer does the hard setup once, and the client gets a clean, stripped-down manager UI that shows only the content fields they need.

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Features

Based on the README, website, and review corpus:

Content management core:

• Resource tree — all content organized as a hierarchical tree structure [README]
• Template Variables (TVs) — custom fields per resource type, typed (text, image, date, richtext, etc.) [README]
• Snippets — PHP functions you call from templates for dynamic content [README]
• Chunks — reusable HTML fragments (navigation, footer, partials) [README]
• Plugins — event-driven hooks that fire on system events [README]
• Custom Manager Pages — build full admin interfaces for custom data [2]

Content authoring:

• WYSIWYG editor support (TinyMCE, CKEditor via extras) [2]
• Customizable manager UI — you control which fields editors see [1][4]
• Built-in versioning and snapshot functionality [website][2]
• Backstage™ selective content staging — preview and publish changes without affecting live site [website]

Multi-site and internationalization:

• Multi-language, multi-domain, multi-site support from a single install [README][website]
• The homepage cites support for 16 languages [website]
• Context system handles domain routing and language switching natively [README]

Security:

• ABAC (Attribute-Based Access Control) down to resource level [2][website]
• Two-factor authentication [2]
• SSL and secure login [2]
• The security record the team cites is real — MODX has had significantly fewer mass-exploit incidents than WordPress [website]

Developer tools:

• Full PHP API [2][README]
• REST API (via extras) [2]
• Works as headless CMS with custom API endpoints [1]
• MODX Package Manager for installable extras [README]
• Currently at 12,390+ installable extras according to the homepage counter [website]

What’s missing without extras:

• No built-in eCommerce (requires extras like SimpleCart or Commerce)
• No block/Gutenberg-style editor out of the box — you pick a WYSIWYG
• No visual drag-and-drop page builder (this is intentional, but relevant)
• Form builder requires extras (FormIt is the standard)

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Pricing: SaaS vs self-hosted math

MODX Revolution self-hosted:

• Software license: $0 (GPL-2.0) [README]
• VPS to run it on: $5–20/month (requires PHP 7.4+ or 8.x, MySQL, Apache/nginx)
• PHP hosting (shared): from $3–10/month on hosts that support it

MODX Cloud (managed hosting):

• Starts at $30/month per site [2][4]
• Includes: free SSL, automatic backups, MODX upgrades, content staging, site cloning [website]
• Higher tiers scale with traffic and storage requirements

WordPress comparison:

• WP Engine starts at $25/month managed; Kinsta at $35/month; Flywheel at $23/month
• Self-hosted WordPress on a $6 VPS: also works fine

The honest math: MODX self-hosted on a cheap VPS costs roughly the same as self-hosted WordPress. MODX Cloud at $30/month is comparable to entry-level managed WordPress hosting. This is not a product you choose for the pricing — the premium (or savings) is roughly neutral. You choose MODX for the control and security architecture, not to cut a hosting bill.

Where MODX makes economic sense is in agency scenarios: one developer, one server, many client sites. MODX’s multi-site support from a single install means you can run 10 client sites on one $20/month VPS, each with isolated content, separate manager users, and no plugin conflicts between sites [1][README].

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Deployment reality check

This is where MODX diverges sharply from tools like WordPress or Ghost. Installation is not a two-minute experience.

What you need:

• PHP 7.4 or 8.x with required extensions (PDO, MySQL, GD, SimpleXML, Zlib) [README/docs]
• MySQL or MariaDB database
• Apache (with mod_rewrite) or nginx with proper rewrite rules
• File permissions set correctly (MODX is particular about this)
• A comfort level with reading server logs

Installation paths:

• Download the zip from modx.com and run the web installer [README]
• Install via git (more complex, for contributors or bleeding-edge) [README]
• MODX Cloud handles all of this for $30/month [website]

What can go sideways:

• SoftwareAdvice reviews explicitly flag hosting compatibility: “For comfortable using this CMS you need to choose a good server and hosting. If you choose an improper, unsuitable hosting, you will have serious problems in the near future” [1]. MODX has historically had friction with shared hosts that impose PHP restrictions or don’t support .htaccess rewrite rules cleanly.
• The MODX upgrade path from 2.x to 3.x has known complexity [README] — the docs include a dedicated upgrade guide, which is itself a signal.
• Beginners get warned directly: “It will be very difficult for beginners to install, and even more so configure MODX” [1].
• The extras/packages ecosystem, while large (12,390+ on the homepage counter [website]), is of uneven quality. Popular extras like FormIt and pdoResources are well-maintained; others haven’t been touched in years.

Realistic time estimate:

• Experienced PHP developer on a VPS: 1–2 hours to a working install with basic template
• Developer unfamiliar with MODX specifically: half a day, including reading docs
• Non-technical user: MODX Cloud is the only realistic path. DIY self-hosting is not realistic without developer help.

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Pros and Cons

Pros

• Complete markup freedom. No enforced wrapper elements, no theme inheritance, no framework-imposed structure. If you can design it, MODX will render it exactly as written [README][website][1].
• Genuine security track record. The team’s claim about being the most secure open-source CMS has held up better than most — far fewer mass-exploit events compared to WordPress [website]. Multiple reviewers cite this as their primary reason to switch [1][4].
• Granular access controls. The ACL system is genuinely more powerful than most CMSes at this price point — access controls down to individual resources, template variables, and manager panels [1][2][website].
• No bloat. Nothing loads unless you explicitly include it. Pages are fast because the template system is lean by design [website][1].
• Multi-site from one install. Agency use case: one MODX install, multiple client domains, isolated content and users [README][1].
• 20+ year open-source project. GPL-2.0 since 2004, commercially maintained by MODX LLC [README][website]. Not going anywhere.
• Strong community support. SoftwareAdvice reviewers score customer support at 4.7/5 [1][2], noting the community forums and Slack are genuinely helpful.
• Headless-capable. Can serve JSON, XML, or any other format — not just HTML. Agencies use it as headless CMS for mobile apps [1][README].

Cons

• Steep learning curve. The most consistent finding across all review sources [1][4][5]. Reviewers who love MODX all have 3–9+ years of experience with it. It is not a CMS you pick up in an afternoon.
• Not for non-developers. Multiple reviewers state this explicitly and without apology: “It will be very difficult for beginners to install” [1]. This is a developer tool that happens to have a CMS built in, not a CMS built for business users.
• Low GitHub visibility. 1,395 stars is modest. The project predates GitHub’s dominance, but the low number means fewer integrations, fewer tutorials, and a smaller pool of developers who know it versus WordPress or even Ghost.
• Extras quality varies. The 12,390+ extras figure [website] is impressive, but includes many unmaintained packages. Evaluating which extras are production-safe requires experience.
• No visual builder. For clients who want to edit layouts, not just text, MODX will frustrate them. There’s no Elementor or Gutenberg equivalent that fits natively.
• Hosting compatibility friction. Not every host works cleanly. Shared hosting in particular can cause configuration headaches [1].
• Limited name recognition. “It’s difficult to navigate and a lot of people don’t even know that MODX exists” [1]. Finding a developer to hand off to later is harder than with WordPress.

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Who should use this / who shouldn’t

Use MODX if:

• You’re a PHP developer or web agency building custom sites where you need full HTML/CSS control and refuse to fight a theme framework.
• You have security-conscious clients whose WordPress sites have been hacked before and need a platform with a serious security architecture.
• You’re managing multiple client sites and want one install, one server, isolated managers per client.
• You want to serve content as JSON for a mobile API from the same system handling your web front-end.
• You’re prepared to invest time learning the system and want a CMS that will still behave correctly in 10 years.

Skip it (pick WordPress) if:

• You need a non-technical person to maintain the site without developer help.
• You want access to thousands of plugins, themes, and tutorials from a Google search.
• Your budget doesn’t include developer time to set up and maintain.
• You need a working site in days, not weeks.

Skip it (pick Ghost) if:

• You’re running a content publication or blog and want clean Markdown authoring with newsletter integration out of the box.

Skip it (pick Directus or Strapi) if:

• You need a headless CMS with a proper REST/GraphQL API as the primary interface, modern UI for content editors, and framework-agnostic frontend delivery.

Skip it (stay on MODX Cloud) if:

• You want MODX’s architecture but not the server management burden — $30/month is reasonable for what you get [website].

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Alternatives worth considering

• WordPress — the obvious comparison. Larger ecosystem, easier to hire for, more vulnerabilities by volume, harder to achieve clean HTML. Use it when the team is non-technical or hiring market matters.
• Ghost — better choice for publications and blogs. Cleaner authoring experience, modern codebase, Node.js instead of PHP, strong newsletter/membership features. Not a general-purpose CMS.
• Statamic — Laravel-based, flat-file or database, strong access controls, beautiful control panel. Closer to MODX’s power-user ethos but with a much more modern developer experience and better documentation.
• Craft CMS — PHP, commercial license (free tier available), elegant content modeling, modern templating. Likely the closest modern equivalent to what MODX tries to be, with better tooling and a larger current developer community.
• Directus — headless-first, REST/GraphQL, wraps any existing database. For teams that want content as a service rather than a traditional CMS.
• Strapi — Node.js headless CMS, strong API focus, good for JAMstack builds.

For the specific MODX use case — an agency wanting a developer-grade PHP CMS with security and flexibility — Statamic or Craft CMS are the most honest modern alternatives to evaluate before committing.

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Bottom line

MODX is a serious piece of software for serious developers. The people who use it tend to stick with it for years, and the community’s loyalty is earned — it does exactly what it promises: complete creative freedom, strong security, and no bloat. The catch is that you have to deliver all the structure, patterns, and tooling that WordPress or Craft CMS provide out of the box. MODX is a blank canvas, and blank canvases require someone who knows how to paint.

For non-technical founders looking to escape SaaS CMS costs, MODX is the wrong choice unless you have a trusted developer who already knows it. For agencies running client sites where markup control, security, and multi-site architecture matter — and where a developer is always in the loop — it remains a credible, well-maintained option that’s been quietly doing its job since 2004.

If you need someone to deploy and configure it, that’s exactly the kind of one-time setup that unsubbed.co’s parent studio upready.dev handles for clients.

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Sources

1. SoftwareAdvice — MODX Reviews (64 reviews, 4.6/5). https://www.softwareadvice.com/cms/modx-profile/reviews/
2. SoftwareAdvice — MODX Profile: Features, Pricing, Overview (2026). https://www.softwareadvice.com/cms/modx-profile/
3. Dan Moore — Web Applications blog archive (incidental reference, not primary source). https://www.mooreds.com/wordpress/archives/category/web-applications/page/10
4. SoftwareAdvice IE — MODX Reviews and Demos (64 reviews). https://www.softwareadvice.ie/software/109872/modx
5. SoftwareAdvice AU — MODX Reviews and Demos (64 reviews). https://www.softwareadvice.com.au/software/109872/modx

Primary sources:

• GitHub repository: https://github.com/modxcms/revolution (GPL-2.0 license)
• Official website: https://modx.com/
• Documentation: https://docs.modx.com/3.x/en/index
• MODX Community: https://community.modx.com/