CMSien

CMSien is an open-source content management system designed for small to medium-sized websites. It emphasizes modularity, extensibility, and a user-friendly interface, allowing non-technical editors to manage content while giving developers a framework for customization.

Development of CMSien began in 2014 by the NovaCore project as an alternative to monolithic CMS platforms. The first public release appeared in 2015 under the MIT license. Subsequent major releases added a plugin architecture, a templating system, and multisite capabilities, expanding its adoption in small businesses and educational institutions.

Core features include a modular plugin system, a template engine, built-in search engine optimization tools, a media library, and role-based access control. CMSien supports multilingual content, multisite installations, and a REST API for external applications. A WYSIWYG editor and form builder simplify content creation, while caching and security enhancements aim to improve performance and protection against common threats.

CMSien is primarily written in PHP and designed to run on standard LAMP/LEMP stacks, with a Model-View-Controller architecture and a database layer based on MySQL or MariaDB. The system separates content, presentation, and logic, and provides a plugin API and a theme system to extend functionality and appearance. It also includes a CLI tool for maintenance tasks.

Usage of CMSien is most common among small businesses, educational sites, and personal projects seeking a lightweight, customizable CMS. The project maintains an active but smaller ecosystem than larger platforms, with community forums and documentation. Critics point to a smaller plugin marketplace and variable third-party support, while supporters highlight its simplicity and flexibility.