Freedom251 › Content Management Systems
ImpressCMS
by ImpressCMS
What ImpressCMS is
ImpressCMS is a free, open-source content management system for websites, company intranets and online communities. It is community-built, based on PHP and MySQL, and self-hosted on a web server. Site content and the interface can use multiple languages, including UTF-8, multibyte and right-to-left languages. Custom user roles and a media library are supported. Modules extend the core with functions such as news, contact forms, articles, forums and an online store. Themes change the site appearance, while language packs translate the interface. A Reader module can display external RSS and Atom feeds. ImpressCMS describes one-way password encoding, HTMLPurifier, StopForumSpam checking and an integrated Protector module as security measures. The project says it runs well on shared hosting, even without caching. Installation uses a web server, PHP and MySQL, and some hosts offer Softaculous automatic installation. Community forums cover usage, installation, upgrades, troubleshooting, addons and development. The maker, ImpressCMS, was founded in 2007. The plan costs nothing.
Who it suits
It suits people building multilingual websites, intranets or online communities who can host PHP and MySQL software themselves. Its modules and themes support sites with different content needs.
What it does well
- Free and open-source self-hosted CMS
- Supports multilingual and right-to-left content
- Modules add forums, stores and articles
- Custom user roles and media library
- Runs on shared hosting
What to know first
- Requires your own web server
- PHP and MySQL are required
- Self-hosting means handling installation
Plans
| Plan | Billed and limits | Price |
|---|---|---|
| ImpressCMS | Free and open-source CMS; self-hosted on a web server | Free |
As impresscms.org lists them, read 12 Oct 2026. The maker's own page has the final word.
Verdict
ImpressCMS provides a free, multilingual CMS with modules, themes, media tools and custom roles. It is intended for self-hosted deployments rather than a hosted service.
Facts from ImpressCMS's own pages
- Custom user roles
- Yes · impresscms.org, 22 Sept 2026
- Extensible modules
- Modules extend core functionality; listed examples include news, contact forms, articles, forums, and an online store. · impresscms.org, 12 Oct 2026
- Feeds
- The downloads area lists Reader, a module for displaying external RSS and Atom newsfeeds on an ImpressCMS site. · impresscms.org, 12 Oct 2026
- Founded
- 2007 · impresscms.org, 19 Oct 2026
- Free plan
- Yes · impresscms.org, 22 Sept 2026
- Hosting
- The homepage says ImpressCMS is built to run well on shared hosting, even without caching enabled. · impresscms.org, 12 Oct 2026
- Installation
- The installation guide says installation often takes no more than five minutes and notes that some web hosts offer automatic installation through Softaculous. · impresscms.org, 12 Oct 2026
- Media library
- Yes · impresscms.org, 22 Sept 2026
- Multilingual
- It supports multiple languages for site content and the user interface, including UTF-8, multibyte languages, and right-to-left languages. · impresscms.org, 12 Oct 2026
- Platform type
- self_hosted · impresscms.org, 22 Sept 2026
- Purpose
- ImpressCMS is a community-built, open-source, multilingual content management system for the web based on PHP and MySQL. · impresscms.org, 12 Oct 2026
- Requirements
- The installation guide describes installation on a web server and uses PHP and MySQL for the database connection. · impresscms.org, 12 Oct 2026
- Security
- The maker describes a trust path for sensitive files, one-way password encoding, built-in HTMLPurifier, StopForumSpam checking, and an integrated Protector module. · impresscms.org, 12 Oct 2026
- Security reporting
- The vulnerability report form says the project supports the last minor version of the last two major releases and asks for up to 10 business days to respond. · impresscms.org, 12 Oct 2026
- Support
- The maker provides community forums for general usage, installation, upgrades, troubleshooting, addons, and development questions. · impresscms.org, 12 Oct 2026
- Themes and language packs
- The downloads area provides themes to change site appearance and language packs to translate the user interface. · impresscms.org, 12 Oct 2026
- Use cases
- The maker describes it as suitable for sites ranging from small business websites to large company intranets and online communities. · impresscms.org, 12 Oct 2026
Where ImpressCMS stands on Freedom251
- Content Management Systems#109 of 165