Backdrop CMS | Free Open Source CMS built in PHP | WarmIndex

Backdrop CMS is a free and Open Source Content Management System that helps you build modern, comprehensive websites on a reasonable budget.

🚀 Overview

Backdrop CMS is a community-driven, open-source content management system forked from Drupal 7 in 2013. It addresses the challenges of Drupal 8's increased complexity, new dependencies like Symfony, and potential costs for maintaining existing sites by retaining Drupal 7's familiar functionality while improving performance and ease of use.

The project solves problems like slow page loading on shared hosting, difficult upgrades from legacy systems, and the need for non-technical users to manage content without programmers. It's built for individuals, small businesses, non-profits, schools, museums, libraries, and anyone needing a flexible CMS for blogs, galleries, intranets, or social networks—powering over 3,600 sites worldwide.

It was created by Nate and Jen Lampton to preserve accessibility for Drupal's legacy audience, prioritizing speed, security, and community contributions on a volunteer basis.

✨ Key Features

Fast performance: Pages load quickly even on shared hosting, optimized for real-world environments.
Easy add-ons: Browse and install modules, themes, and layouts from a large community library directly in the admin interface.
Drupal 7 upgrade path: Seamless migration with familiar tools, no full rewrite needed.
Content management without code: Built-in tools like Views (dynamic lists), automatic URL aliases, responsive admin, and permissions for non-programmers.
Optional: Layout Paragraphs (experimental, in development for advanced content layouts).

🛠 Tech Stack

Frontend: HTML/CSS/JavaScript, responsive themes
Backend: PHP 7.1.0+
Database: MySQL 5.5+ or MariaDB (PDO enabled)
Auth: Built-in user roles and permissions system
Hosting: Apache/Nginx, shared hosting, Pantheon, Docker (DDEV/Lando)

👥 Who Is This For?

This project is useful for:

Developers who want to build or migrate CMS sites quickly without heavy dependencies
Teams looking for performant, secure platforms on a budget
Indie makers building blogs, non-profits, or small business sites without enterprise costs