CKAN - The open source data management system
CKAN is an open-source DMS (data management system) for powering data hubs and data portals. CKAN makes it easy to publish, share and use data.
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CKAN is the world’s leading open-source data management system for powering data hubs and data portals, making it easy to publish, share, and use data.
🚀 Overview
CKAN is a mature, fully-featured open-source data management system (DMS) that powers hundreds of data portals around the world, including catalog.data.gov, data.gov.uk, and data.humdata.org. It provides a powerful platform for cataloging, storing, accessing, and sharing datasets with a rich front-end interface, full API, and built-in tools for visualization and discovery.
The project solves the challenge of building and maintaining scalable open data portals, enabling organizations to efficiently publish, manage, and distribute data while ensuring discoverability and reuse. It is built for governments, public sector agencies, enterprises (e.g., in energy, pharma, finance), and communities worldwide.
Developed over two decades by the Open Knowledge Foundation and a global community of contributors, CKAN was created to democratize access to data, promote transparency, and support the UN's Sustainable Development Goals as a recognized Digital Public Good.
✨ Key Features
- Comprehensive API: Full RESTful API for both data and catalog management, enabling seamless integration and automation.
- Datastore: Built-in storage for structured tabular data with querying capabilities.
- Extensible via Plugins: Highly customizable with hundreds of extensions for added functionality like geospatial support and harvesting.
- Powerful Search & Discovery: Advanced faceted search powered by Solr, with previews and metadata standards support.
- User & Org Management: Role-based access, organizations, and groups for collaborative data governance.
- Upcoming: CKAN 3.0 with modern UI revamp for better accessibility and mobile-friendliness.
🛠 Tech Stack
- Frontend: HTML, CSS/SCSS, JavaScript, Jinja2 templates
- Backend: Python, Flask, SQLAlchemy
- Database: PostgreSQL (metadata), Solr/Lucene (search)
- Auth: Built-in user authentication with extensions for OAuth etc.
- Hosting: Self-hosted, Docker Compose (ckan/ckan-docker)
👥 Who Is This For?
This project is useful for:
- Governments and public agencies launching open data portals
- Enterprises looking for internal data catalogs and sharing platforms
- Developers and data teams building customizable data management solutions
📸 Screenshots / Demo
- Live demo: https://ckan.org/showcase
- GitHub: https://github.com/ckan/ckan
🔥 Project Status
- 🟢 Actively building
Last updated: 2026-03-24
❓ FAQ
Is this project free?
Yes — 100% open source under AGPLv3 license. (Explain briefly.)
Is the source code available?
Yes — https://github.com/ckan/ckan
Can I contribute?
Yes — Read CONTRIBUTING.md, report bugs or submit PRs via GitHub issues, join the ckan-dev mailing list or Gitter chat for discussions.
📬 Contact & Links
- Website: https://ckan.org
- GitHub: https://github.com/ckan/ckan
- Twitter/X: https://x.com/CKANproject
- Email: security@ckan.org (security issues); contact form on website
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