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CrafterCMS

by CrafterCMS

Free plan Open source APILinuxMacSelf-hostedWebWindows

Visit CrafterCMS Alternatives Pricing

CrafterCMS's own site

What CrafterCMS is

CrafterCMS is a content management system with options for open-source self-hosting, commercially supported deployment, and managed cloud service. Its listed capabilities include content localization, custom role permissions, webhooks, content preview, and asset transformations. API support includes REST and GraphQL. The software is available for web, Windows, macOS, and Linux.

The Community plan is an open-source GPL v3 release with community support and a self-hosted download. Enterprise is a commercially supported release for self-hosted or self-managed deployment, with enterprise features and support. Crafter Cloud is a fully managed SaaS option that includes managed infrastructure, monitoring, and upgrades. CrafterCMS lists its pricing model as free and offers a free plan, though no prices are provided for the named plans. Its maker is based in McLean, Virginia, USA.

Who it suits

CrafterCMS suits teams choosing among open-source self-hosting, commercially supported self-managed deployment, or managed SaaS. Its localization, custom permissions, and preview features may suit teams managing content across roles and regions.

What it does well

  • Supports REST and GraphQL APIs.
  • Includes content localization and custom role permissions.
  • Offers webhooks, preview, and asset transformations.
  • Crafter Cloud includes managed infrastructure and upgrades.

What to know first

  • Community support is listed for the Community plan.
  • The Enterprise deployment is self-hosted or self-managed.

Plans

PlanBilled and limitsPrice
CommunityOpen-source GPL v3 release · Community support · Self-hosted downloadOn request
EnterpriseCommercially supported release · Self-hosted or self-managed deployment · Enterprise features and supportOn request
Crafter CloudFully managed SaaS · REST and GraphQL APIs · Managed infrastructure, monitoring and upgradesOn request
CrafterCMS CommunityFree open-source release · Community support · GPL v3 · self-hosted downloadFree
CrafterCMS EnterpriseStarting at $5,472.00 per year · Commercial support · self-hosted or managed SaaS · enterprise features$5,472 a year

As craftercms.com lists them, read 24 Sept 2026. The maker's own page has the final word.

Verdict

CrafterCMS offers distinct support and deployment models, from an open-source self-hosted release to fully managed SaaS. The listed plans do not include prices, so check with the maker for plan costs.

Facts from CrafterCMS's own pages

AI capabilities
The current platform advertises AI-assisted authoring, AI skills, Spring AI integration and MCP clients and servers. · craftercms.com, 15 Oct 2026
API types
both · craftercms.com, 20 Sept 2026
Architecture
The platform separates authoring from delivery through decoupled subsystems. · craftercms.com, 15 Oct 2026
Asset transformations
Yes · craftercms.com, 20 Sept 2026
Authoring
Authors get browser-based in-context editing, drag-and-drop experience building and multi-channel preview. · craftercms.com, 15 Oct 2026
CLI
Crafter CLI authenticates to CrafterCMS and exercises its APIs from Linux, macOS or Windows command lines. · craftercms.com, 15 Oct 2026
Company identity
The legal entity shown on the site is Crafter Software Corporation, headquartered at 7918 Jones Branch Drive, McLean, Virginia. · craftercms.com, 15 Oct 2026
Company profile
LinkedIn lists CrafterCMS as privately held, founded in 2013, headquartered in McLean, Virginia, with 11–50 employees. · linkedin.com, 15 Oct 2026
Content repository
Content is stored in a Git-based distributed repository with versioning and branching. · craftercms.com, 15 Oct 2026
Database requirement
The core system runs without an external database; MongoDB is optional for Profile and Social modules. · craftercms.com, 15 Oct 2026
Documentation depth
Documentation is organized by architect, developer, author and system-administrator roles and includes module, API, security and installation references. · craftercms.com, 15 Oct 2026
Extensibility
Groovy, Java, FreeMarker and a plugin framework can extend APIs, workflows, delivery behavior and authoring UI. · craftercms.com, 15 Oct 2026
Free plan
Yes · craftercms.com, 24 Sept 2026
Frontend frameworks
The platform is intended for React, Next.js, Angular, Vue, SPAs and other frontend frameworks. · craftercms.com, 15 Oct 2026
GraphQL
CrafterCMS generates a project-specific GraphQL schema from content models and updates it when models change. · craftercms.com, 15 Oct 2026
Headquarters
McLean, Virginia, USA · craftercms.com, 23 Sept 2026
Independent integration summary
Software Advice describes integrations with Jenkins, Elasticsearch, Bitbucket, GitLab and GitHub. · softwareadvice.com, 15 Oct 2026
Installation requirements
CrafterCMS 4.6.1 requires Java 21, at least 8 GB JVM memory and Git 2.20.1 or newer; Docker is needed for Docker or macOS setups. · craftercms.com, 15 Oct 2026
Integrations
Listed integrations include Elastic Stack, Stripe, GitLab, Bitbucket, Elastic Path, GitHub, Jenkins, commercetools and Shopify. · getapp.com, 15 Oct 2026
JavaScript SDK
NPM packages cover content retrieval, models, Redux, search, utilities, in-context editing, Experience Builder and Studio UI extensions. · craftercms.com, 15 Oct 2026
Latest release
CrafterCMS 4.6.1 community bundles were released on September 29, 2026. · craftercms.com, 15 Oct 2026
License
The Community source code is released under GPL v3. · craftercms.com, 15 Oct 2026
Limit: developer workflow
A G2 reviewer says the Git repository can leak into developer processes, making DEV/STAGE/PROD merges and hot-fix configuration changes messy. · g2.com, 15 Oct 2026
Limit: documentation
A G2 reviewer says advanced features have limited documentation and that the reference-style organization is difficult for newcomers. · g2.com, 15 Oct 2026

Where CrafterCMS stands on Freedom251

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