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LocomotiveCMS
What LocomotiveCMS is
LocomotiveCMS is an open-source content management system for developers who build websites that clients can edit through a generated back office. It uses a hybrid model and supports web, Linux, macOS, Windows, API, and self-hosted deployments. The software is MIT licensed, so it may be copied, modified, and resold when copyright notices remain. Wagon scaffolds sites and lets developers create content types and Liquid templates in a text editor, with previews served locally. Engine, a Ruby on Rails application, handles site creation and content editing. One installation can manage as many websites as its server can handle. Editors assemble pages from reusable sections and define related custom content types without SQL. Multilingual support and SEO tools include redirects, hreflang annotations, and page or content titles. The core includes reCaptcha v3 and authentication. Hosted plans provide an SSL-protected back office and automatic SSL certificates. A free plan is available; paid plans start at $19 a month.
Who it suits
It suits developers creating client-editable websites, including multilingual sites with custom content structures. Teams can use one instance for multiple websites, subject to server capacity.
What it does well
- MIT license permits modification and resale
- Reusable sections support flexible page building
- Custom content types need no SQL
- Built-in multilingual and SEO tools
- Free plan available
What to know first
- Free accounts use a locomotive.works subdomain path
- Paid plans limit sites, storage, and pageviews
Plans
| Plan | Billed and limits | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Personal | $ 19 /month · Max 1 site · 1GB Storage · Max 25.000 pageviews · Email support | $19 a month |
| Freelancer | $ 39 /month · Max 3 sites · 3GB Storage · Max 75.000 pageviews · Email support | $39 a month |
| Agency | $ 79 /month · Max 10 sites · 5GB Storage · Max 150.000 pageviews · Email and dedicated chat support | $79 a month |
| Enterprise | $ 199 /month · Max 100 sites · 10GB Storage · Max 500.000 pageviews · Priority Skype and email support · Dedicated account manager | $199 a month |
| White Label | Get started · White label solution | On request |
As locomotivecms.com lists them, read 11 Oct 2026. The maker's own page has the final word.
Verdict
LocomotiveCMS combines developer tooling with an editor-focused back office, reusable sections, and custom content modeling. Its free tier and monthly paid plans cover different hosting limits, while self-hosting remains an option.
Facts from LocomotiveCMS's own pages
- Custom content
- Users can define content types and relate them to one another without SQL. · locomotivecms.com, 11 Oct 2026
- Custom content types
- Yes · locomotivecms.com, 20 Sept 2026
- Development tool
- Wagon scaffolds Locomotive sites and lets developers build content types and templates with a text editor and preview sites in a built-in web server. · locomotivecms.com, 11 Oct 2026
- Engine
- Engine is a Ruby on Rails application for creating and editing content and managing sites. · locomotivecms.com, 11 Oct 2026
- Free plan
- Yes · locomotivecms.com, 20 Sept 2026
- Hosting limits
- The pricing page assigns site, storage, and pageview maximums to its paid plans; it says free accounts use a locomotive.works subdomain path instead of a custom domain. · locomotivecms.com, 11 Oct 2026
- Hosting security
- All hosted plans include an SSL-protected back office and an automatic free SSL certificate for each site. · locomotivecms.com, 11 Oct 2026
- License
- The software is released under the MIT license and may be copied, modified, and resold subject to retaining copyright notices. · locomotivecms.com, 11 Oct 2026
- Localization and SEO
- The feature page describes built-in multi-language support and SEO tools including URL redirections, hreflang annotations, and page and content titles. · locomotivecms.com, 11 Oct 2026
- Multilingual content
- Yes · locomotivecms.com, 20 Sept 2026
- Multi-site
- A single LocomotiveCMS instance can manage as many websites as its server can handle. · locomotivecms.com, 11 Oct 2026
- Platform type
- hybrid · locomotivecms.com, 20 Sept 2026
- Purpose
- LocomotiveCMS is an open source CMS for developing and designing websites for clients. · locomotivecms.com, 11 Oct 2026
- Reusable sections
- Pages can be built from reusable sections that content editors can add, remove, and reorder. · locomotivecms.com, 11 Oct 2026
- SEO tools
- Yes · locomotivecms.com, 20 Sept 2026
- Spam and access features
- The feature page says Google reCaptcha v3 and an authentication system are available in the CMS core. · locomotivecms.com, 11 Oct 2026
- Paid from
- 19 · locomotivecms.com, 20 Sept 2026
- Support
- The homepage says the makers provide responsive support, and paid hosting plans list email, dedicated chat, or priority Skype and email support depending on tier. · locomotivecms.com, 11 Oct 2026
- Templates and integrations
- LocomotiveCMS uses Liquid templates and includes helper tags for Google Analytics, image resizing, pagination, and retrieving content from external web services. · locomotivecms.com, 11 Oct 2026
- Who it serves
- The homepage presents LocomotiveCMS as a CMS for developers building sites that clients can edit through an automatically generated back office. · locomotivecms.com, 11 Oct 2026
Where LocomotiveCMS stands on Freedom251
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