Side by side

CouchCMS vs FUEL CMS

Both stand on content management systems. Which one you can start free with, which one lets you read the code, and what each costs once you pay.

CouchCMS

Free plan Self-hostedWeb

CouchCMS is aimed at designers extending static sites with editable content while keeping their established design. Review the hosting requirements, attribution terms, and coarse access controls before deciding which licence fits.

Visit CouchCMS

FUEL CMS

Free plan Self-hosted

FUEL CMS combines self-hosted publishing, custom data structures, multilingual SEO content, and developer extensions. Its permissions and security controls support managed editorial workflows, while hosting remains the site owner’s responsibility.

Visit FUEL CMS

The facts

	CouchCMS	FUEL CMS
Free plan	Yes	Yes
Open source	Not published	Not published
Runs on	Self-hosted, Web	Self-hosted
Lowest paid plan	Commercial License: $69, paid once	Free or on request
Plans published	3	1
Maker	Not published	Not published
Website	couchcms.com	getfuelcms.com
On content management systems	#115 of 165	#119 of 165

CouchCMS: what it does well

Retrofitting supports existing static website designs.
The blank admin panel allows a tailored set of editing controls.
Includes SEO tools, a media library, and custom content types.
The free licence permits commercial use.

What to know first

Microsoft IIS is unsupported.
The free licence requires an attribution hyperlink and has no original-developer support.
Commercial licensing covers one website or domain.
Access controls are described as fairly coarse.

FUEL CMS: what it does well

Free and open source
Inline page editing
Multilingual SEO-friendly content
Custom content types and forms
Extensible with modules and hooks

What to know first

Self-hosted deployment required
No custom user roles listed
Official download is version 1.5.2
Requires PHP framework environment

Alternatives to CouchCMS Alternatives to FUEL CMS The whole list