Skip to content
whatismyalternative

Perch

The really little content management system.

Visit Perch

Perch is a self-hosted PHP CMS launched in 2009 by development consultancy edgeofmyseat.com (founders Drew McLellan and Rachel Andrew). It is aimed at professional designers, developers and agencies building small client sites, with an option to upgrade to Perch Runway for larger content-driven sites. Licensing is a one-time cost per website with no ongoing fees, and add-ons are included in the price.

12 alternatives to Perch

Ranked by how well each tool replaces Perch: shared features, audience, price and popularity.

  1. Prismic

    The agentic web platform for marketers and AI

    Covers 1 of 15 key features and has a free plan.

    Free plan
    62 out of 100 match$10/mo

  2. Craft CMS

    Craft is a flexible, user-friendly CMS for creating custom digital experiences on the web.

    Covers 1 of 15 key features, has a free plan and is open source.

    Free planOpen source
    61 out of 100 matchContact sales

  3. ProcessWire

    An open source CMS with a powerful API.

    Covers 2 of 15 key features, has a free plan and is open source.

    Free planOpen source
    61 out of 100 matchFree

  4. CMS Made Simple

    Open Source Content Management System

    Covers 2 of 15 key features, has a free plan and is open source.

    Free planOpen source
    60 out of 100 matchContact sales

  5. ButterCMS

    Headless content management system for websites, ecommerce, and mobile apps.

    Covers 1 of 15 key features and has a free plan.

    Free plan
    60 out of 100 match$71/mo

  6. Payload CMS

    The backend to build the modern web.

    Covers 1 of 15 key features, has a free plan and is open source.

    Free planOpen source
    60 out of 100 matchFree

  7. ExpressionEngine

    The world's most flexible & secure open source CMS.

    Covers 2 of 15 key features, has a free plan and is open source.

    Free planOpen source
    60 out of 100 matchContact sales

  8. October CMS

    PHP content management system built on the Laravel framework

    Covers 0 of 15 key features, has a free plan and is open source.

    Free planOpen source
    60 out of 100 match$26/mo

  9. Backdrop CMS

    Simple, lightweight CMS for attractive websites.

    Covers 2 of 15 key features, has a free plan and is open source.

    Free planOpen source
    59 out of 100 matchContact sales

  10. Textpattern

    A small CMS for content publishers, designers, and developers

    Covers 1 of 15 key features, has a free plan and is open source.

    Free planOpen source
    59 out of 100 matchFree

  11. Publii

    A free desktop CMS for blogs, portfolios, documentation sites and other content-focused

    Covers 1 of 15 key features, has a free plan and is open source.

    Free planOpen source
    59 out of 100 matchContact sales

  12. CouchCMS

    A simple, lightweight, and open-source CMS for web designers.

    Covers 0 of 15 key features, has a free plan and is open source.

    Free planOpen source
    58 out of 100 matchContact sales