Freedom251 › Content Management Systems
SPIP
by SPIP
What SPIP is
SPIP is free, self-hosted publishing software for magazine-style websites. It organizes articles and news items into sections and subsections, with workflows that separate design, writing, and editorial management. Editors submit articles through a web interface using typographical shortcuts instead of HTML tags. HTML templates and SPIP tags generate public pages. The system supports custom user roles, multilingual publishing with linked translations, language-specific formatting, SEO tools, a media library, and custom content types. Forums can attach to articles, sections, or news items, with moderation before or after publication. SPIP creates XML and RSS feeds for syndication and supports plugins. It requires an HTTP server configured for PHP; the maintained 4.4 branch lists PHP 7.4–8.5 compatibility and specified extensions. An article can belong to only one section at a time. SPIP is available for personal, institutional, non-profit, or commercial sites under GNU/GPL terms.
Who it suits
SPIP suits web authors and teams running collaborative, multilingual magazine-style sites. It is intended for organizations able to host PHP software themselves.
What it does well
- Free GNU/GPL software
- Editorial workflows separate contributor responsibilities
- Multilingual publishing with linked translations
- Forums support configurable moderation
- XML and RSS syndication feeds
What to know first
- Self-hosting requires an HTTP server with PHP
- Each article can belong to one section only
- No hosted platform is listed
Plans
| Plan | Billed and limits | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Free software | GNU/GPL software · usable for personal, institutional, non-profit, or commercial sites | Free |
As spip.net lists them, read 11 Oct 2026. The maker's own page has the final word.
Verdict
SPIP provides a free publishing system with structured editorial workflows, multilingual support, and extensibility. Its self-hosted PHP requirements and one-section article limit should be considered during planning.
Facts from SPIP's own pages
- Audience
- SPIP is designed for web authors and teams contributing to a magazine-style website, with separate roles for content submission and editorial management. · spip.net, 11 Oct 2026
- Authoring
- Editors can compose and submit articles through a web interface with typographical shortcuts that avoid requiring HTML tags. · spip.net, 11 Oct 2026
- Content syndication
- SPIP generates XML/RSS files for other websites to syndicate its content and for visitors to follow site updates in a newsreader. · spip.net, 11 Oct 2026
- Custom content types
- Yes · spip.net, 22 Sept 2026
- Custom user roles
- Yes · spip.net, 22 Sept 2026
- Editorial workflow
- Its interface separates graphic design, editorial input, and editorial management among site contributors. · spip.net, 11 Oct 2026
- Editorial workflows
- Yes · spip.net, 22 Sept 2026
- Extensions
- SPIP supports plugins that add functions, and its community contribution site offers templates, tips, and common loops. · spip.net, 11 Oct 2026
- Forums
- SPIP manages discussion forums that can be attached to articles, sections, or news items, with options including pre-publication or post-publication moderation. · spip.net, 11 Oct 2026
- Founded
- 2001 · spip.net, 28 Sept 2026
- Free plan
- Yes · spip.net, 22 Sept 2026
- Hosting requirements
- SPIP requires an HTTP server configured to work with PHP; the maintained 4.4 branch lists PHP 7.4–8.5 compatibility and extensions including curl, xml, gd2, sodium, zip, zlib, and Phar. · spip.net, 11 Oct 2026
- Media library
- Yes · spip.net, 22 Sept 2026
- Multilingual content
- Yes · spip.net, 22 Sept 2026
- Multilingual publishing
- SPIP supports publishing content in multiple languages, including linking translations of articles and applying language-specific typography and display formats. · spip.net, 11 Oct 2026
- Notable limit
- An article can belong to only one section at a time. · spip.net, 11 Oct 2026
- Platform type
- self_hosted · spip.net, 22 Sept 2026
- Primary use
- SPIP is oriented toward magazine-style sites organized into sections and subsections containing articles and news items. · spip.net, 11 Oct 2026
- Purpose
- SPIP is a publishing system for websites, with an emphasis on collaborative work, multilingual environments, and ease of use for web authors. · spip.net, 11 Oct 2026
- Security
- SPIP 4.4 introduced sending links to set passwords instead of sending passwords in clear text in registration and password reminder emails. · spip.net, 11 Oct 2026
- SEO tools
- Yes · spip.net, 22 Sept 2026
- Support
- SPIP is developed and used by a community that invites participation through its websites, mailing lists, and meetings. · spip.net, 11 Oct 2026
- Templates
- The public site is generated from HTML template files that define page layouts and use SPIP tags to insert editorial content. · spip.net, 11 Oct 2026
Where SPIP stands on Freedom251
- Content Management Systems#67 of 165