Head-to-head · Content Management Systems
Plone vs Contao
Plone leads on 0 checks, Contao on 0, and 7 are even. Who comes out ahead on the 7 yes/no, price and count checks where we have data for both products. The editor score weighs everything else too.
Our verdict
- Highest scorePlone · 8.3/10
- Free planboth
Plone scores higher on our rubric for content management systems: 8.3 against 8.2 out of 10; our editors rank them #9 and #10.
On platform type, Plone gives you Hybrid where Contao offers Self_hosted.
Plone is the better fit for governed enterprise publishing and intranets. Contao is the better fit for SEO-focused multilingual business websites.
- Plone fits best
Governed enterprise publishing and intranets
- Contao fits best
SEO-focused multilingual business websites
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Side by side
| Feature | Plone 8.3/10 Visit ↗ | Contao 8.2/10 Visit ↗ |
|---|---|---|
| At a glance | ||
| Editor score | 8.3 | 8.2 |
| Ranking | #9 in Content Management Systems | #10 in Content Management Systems |
| Best for | Governed enterprise publishing and intranets | SEO-focused multilingual business websites |
| Pricing model | Free | Free |
| Starting price | Free plan | Free plan |
| Free plan | ✓ | ✓ |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Deployment | Cloud, Self-hosted | Cloud, Self-hosted |
| Platforms | Web, Windows, macOS, Linux | Web |
| Support | Community, Live chat, Docs | Community, Docs |
| Built for | Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise | Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise |
| Features Plone 6/6 · Contao 6/6 | ||
| Editorial workflows | ✓ | ✓ |
| Custom user roles | ✓ | ✓ |
| Multilingual content | ✓ | ✓ |
| SEO tools | ✓ | ✓ |
| Media library | ✓ | ✓ |
| Custom content types | ✓ | ✓ |
| Specs | ||
| Platform type | Hybrid | Self_hosted |
| Our review | ||
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| Our verdict | Plone is an open-source content management system for websites, intranets, and custom applications. It suits organizations that need governed publishing rather than only basic page editing, with browser-based content editing, structured… Read the review → |
Contao is a free, open-source content management system for agencies, companies, and organizations building professional websites and scalable web applications. It is designed for structured page and article management, multilingual sites,… Read the review → |
Strengths and trade-offs
Plone — where it wins
- Configurable workflows, publishing states, versioning, and content locking
- Structured content, multilingual support, search, and asset management
- REST API plus broad enterprise authentication integrations
Where it doesn't
- Hosting, implementation, and support may require separate providers
- Self-hosted deployments place infrastructure choices with the organization
- Its broad governance feature set may exceed simpler publishing needs
Contao — where it wins
- Granular permissions and configurable editorial workflows
- Multilingual structures with language fallback
- Built-in SEO, media, forms, news, and calendar features
Where it doesn't
- Self-hosted deployment requires a PHP and MySQL-compatible environment
- Hosting, implementation, and support may require separate providers
- Extensions and custom content structures may require additional setup
- Plone8.3/10 · Free plan
A mature, free CMS for structured, multilingual, permission-controlled publishing.
Visit PloneFull verdict → - Contao8.2/10 · Free plan
A free, self-hosted CMS with strong multilingual, workflow, and SEO controls.
Visit ContaoFull verdict →
All content management systems comparisons → · Full ranking →
Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026
Last updated · How we research and update