No. 8 of 165 ·Content Management Systems

ExpressionEngine

Web · Self-hosted · API · paid plans from $3.25/mo

Freedom report

Two barsScore 7.6

Free tierA free tier is on its own pricing page
Open codeNo open-source code on record
Runs widely1 of 6 device platforms
DocumentedPlans, terms and facts published

ExpressionEngine is ranked #8 of 165 in content management systems on Freedom251. It runs on API, Self-hosted, Web. There is a free plan. Paid plans start at $3.25/mo.

ExpressionEngine plans and pricing

All plans

Core Free Unlimited Features · 1 Control Panel User expressionengine.com · 28 Sept 2026

Pro $249 once Includes one year of updates. Additional updates start at $49/year. Unlimited Features · Unlimited Control Panel Users expressionengine.com · 28 Sept 2026

Pro Renewal Subscription $49/yr Continued updates each year · Automatic renewal · Discounted Price expressionengine.com · 28 Sept 2026

Pro Renewal $59 once billed annually 1 year of updates expressionengine.com · 28 Sept 2026

Additional MSM Site $49 once Includes one year of updates. Additional updates start at $39/year. Unlimited Features · Unlimited Control Panel Users expressionengine.com · 28 Sept 2026

MSM Pro Renewal Subscription $39/yr Continued updates each year · Automatic renewal · Discounted Price expressionengine.com · 28 Sept 2026

Compared on content management systems

Free plan: Yes
Paid from: $249/mo
Platform type: self_hosted
Editorial workflows: Yes
Custom user roles: Yes
Multilingual content: Yes
SEO tools: Yes
Media library: Yes
Custom content types: Yes

Best ExpressionEngine alternatives

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Two bars Drupal Free tier No. 1Free8.1 One bar Webflow CMS Free tier No. 2$15/mo8.0 One bar HubSpot Content Hub Free tier No. 3Free7.8 One bar Umbraco CMS Free tier No. 4€45/mo7.8 One bar Prismic Free tier No. 5$10/mo7.8 One bar MODX Free tier No. 6$36/mo7.7

The record

Open Source CMS: ExpressionEngine is an open source CMS for website content.
Content Management: It stores, manages, and publishes website content.
Free Tier Limit: The free Core plan is limited to control panel access for 1 user.
Pro User Limit: The Pro plan includes unlimited control panel users.
Included Updates: The Pro license includes one year of updates.
Update Cost: Additional Pro updates start at $49 per year.
Subscription Billing: Renewal subscriptions continue updates yearly and renew automatically.
Expiry Behavior: An expired subscription shows a control-panel warning but does not take the site down.
Renewal Grace Period: Customers have 1 year after license end to renew before repurchasing a full site license.
Nonprofit License: Nonprofit or charitable projects may request a free license.
Front End Editing: Administrators can bring the control panel to the front end of any site.
Developer Add-Ons: A developer community creates add-ons that extend system capabilities.
Community Channels: The community connects through Slack, forums, and GitHub.
Support Satisfaction: Customers reported a 100% satisfaction rating in the last 60 days.
Price from: $3.25/mo

Where it ranks on Freedom251

Best Content Management Systems in 2026#8 of 165

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Sources

expressionengine.com· checked 28 Sept 2026
expressionengine.com/store/purchase-pro· checked 28 Sept 2026
expressionengine.com/terms-of-service· checked 28 Sept 2026
expressionengine.com/features· checked 28 Sept 2026
expressionengine.com/add-ons/simple-commerce· checked 28 Sept 2026
docs.expressionengine.com/latest/installation/requirements.html· checked 28 Sept 2026
docs.expressionengine.com/latest/development/legacy/api/index.htm· checked 28 Sept 2026
expressionengine.com/support/policy· checked 28 Sept 2026
expressionengine.com/support/version-support· checked 28 Sept 2026