What MODX does

MODX is a privately held open-source content management system (CMS) provider founded in 2004 and headquartered in Dallas, Texas. The company develops MODX Revolution, a PHP-based content management framework, and has accumulated tens of millions of downloads and 91 production releases over 21+ years of continuous operation. Its core technology provides flexible content modeling, template-driven rendering with built-in caching, granular ACL-based permissions, and extensibility through a marketplace of third-party add-ons (MODX Extras). The company's product portfolio includes the open-source CMS core, MODX Cloud (fully managed hosting on IBM Cloud infrastructure), Pro Sites (tiered managed hosting subscriptions), Backstage (selective content staging workflows), Cloud Edge (CDN and Web Application Firewall), Fred (front-end visual drag-and-drop editor), and the MODX Extras extension ecosystem.

The company operates on a freemium business model: the core MODX Revolution CMS is distributed free of charge for self-hosting, and revenue is generated through recurring managed hosting subscriptions (Pro Site Core at $90/month, Plus at $145/month, Max at $225/month), premium commercial support services, and professional services. In 2017, CEO Ryan Thrash led a strategic transition from a services-and-support model to a SaaS model anchored by the MODX Cloud launch. The go-to-market combines product-led growth (free open-source download), community-led adoption (forums, documentation, developer relations), enterprise field sales for managed hosting, and a channel of hosting partners (IBM Cloud, AWS, Digital Ocean, Vultr). MODX is founder-owned and operated with no institutional venture capital funding identified and maintains a lean team of 11-50 employees.

Named customers include Topgolf, Blenheim Palace, Baker College, Kentucky Derby, and Snow Creative, spanning entertainment, tourism/heritage, education, sports/events, and digital agency verticals. Strategic technology partnerships include IBM Cloud (core infrastructure partner), Cloudflare (CDN and security for Cloud Edge), and payment processors (Stripe, PayPal, Authorize.net). The company holds registered trademarks for MODX and MODX Revolution.

Name

MODX

Legal name

MODX Systems, LLC

Website

https://modx.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

MODX is a privately held open-source PHP content management system provider founded in 2004. The company serves developers, digital agencies, and enterprise customers with its MODX Revolution CMS, tiered managed hosting (Pro Sites), and complementary tools including Backstage staging and Cloud Edge CDN/WAF.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Content Management System

NAICS

Software Publishers (5132), Computing Infrastructure Providers, Data Processing, Web Hosting, and Related Services (5182), Custom Computer Programming Services (541511)

SIC

Services-Prepackaged Software (7372), Services-Computer Programming Services (7371)

akta.pro primary industry

Managed Application Platforms (App PaaS & Runtime Services) (HDABAAAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Private Cloud Platforms (On‑Prem Cloud Stacks) (HDABABAA), Cloud Networking Core Services (VPC/VNet, Load Balancing, DNS, NAT) (HDABAAAJ)

Keywords

• Open source CMS
• Content management system
• Managed cloud hosting
• PHP content framework
• Web content management

Headquarters

HQ city

Dallas

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Personnel, Infrastructure, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Pro Sites Managed Hosting: Subscription-based managed cloud hosting service with tiered plans (Core, Plus, Max). Includes Cloud Edge CDN/WAF, Backstage staging, priority support, and SLA guarantees. Revenue is recurring monthly/annual subscription.
2. Commercial Support Services: Premium support and professional services for enterprise deployments. Provides dedicated assistance for organizations requiring SLA-backed technical support beyond community forums.
3. Open Source CMS Distribution: Core MODX CMS is free to download and self-host. This freemium model drives broad adoption, with conversion opportunities to paid hosting and support services.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion4 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

MODX provides an open-source PHP Content Management System (MODX Revolution) and application framework that powers websites and digital experiences, available for free self-hosting download. Alongside the free core CMS, MODX sells fully managed cloud hosting (MODX Cloud / Pro Sites) bundled with proprietary add-ons including Backstage selective content staging, Cloud Edge CDN/WAF, and the MODX Extras extension ecosystem, plus commercial support services for enterprise deployments.

Product overview

MODX offers a modular platform centered on MODX Revolution, an open-source PHP Content Management System and Content Management Framework (CMF) that powers millions of websites worldwide. The core CMS is complemented by managed hosting through MODX Cloud, selective content staging via Backstage™, and CDN/WAF protection through Cloud Edge™. Pro Sites bundles these services into tiered managed hosting plans. Additional functionality is extended through MODX Extras (third-party add-ons) and Fred, a front-end visual editor. The platform is known for blazing-fast performance with built-in caching, rock-solid security, and creative freedom with no bloat.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• MODX Revolution: Open source PHP content management system and application framework
• Backstage
• Pro Sites
• Cloud Edge
• Fred
• MODX Extras

Products and services

• MODX Revolution Open-source PHP Content Management System and application framework (CMF) powering millions of websites. Features robust ACL permissions, built-in caching, creative freedom with separation of presentation/content/functionality, and extensibility via Extras. Free to download and self-host.
• MODX Cloud Fully managed cloud hosting platform built specifically for MODX. Includes automated backups, one-click upgrades, free SSL, site cloning, and expert support. Pairs managed hosting with MODX Revolution optimization.
• Pro Sites Tiered managed hosting plans (Pro Site Core at $90/mo, Pro Site Plus at $145/mo, Pro Site Max at $225/mo) that bundle fully-managed hosting with Backstage staging, Cloud Edge CDN/WAF, email service provider, site tune-up, and escalating levels of proactive monitoring and failover protection.
• Backstage Selective content staging workflow that allows teams to create, collaborate, and publish only ready content to production. Tracks all content changes including images and media, enables rollback of pending changes, and respects MODX ACL permissions.
• Cloud Edge Fully managed CDN (Content Delivery Network) and WAF (Web Application Firewall) service included with Pro Sites plans. Optimizes page load times and provides security protection.
• MODX Extras Ecosystem of third-party add-ons and extensions for MODX Revolution, available at extras.modx.com. Includes tools for email marketing, e-commerce, form building, and content management.
• Fred Front-end visual content editor for MODX that enables drag-and-drop website building. Empowers non-technical users to create content using pre-designed Elements and Blueprints.

Quantifiable outcome

• Supports 16 languages for international deployments
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• IBM CloudcoreTechnology or IntegrationPrimary hosting infrastructure provider for MODX Cloud managed services. IBM Cloud provides the underlying compute and infrastructure for Pro Sites hosting deployments.
• CloudflarecoreTechnology or IntegrationCDN and security services integrated through MODX Cloud Edge. Cloudflare provides content delivery and DDoS protection for MODX-hosted sites.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Ghost: Open-source CMS and publishing platform with a managed hosting offering (Ghost(Pro)). Closely parallels MODX's combination of free open-source core plus subscription-based managed hosting for site owners and creators.
• Drupal: Open-source PHP CMS targeting developers building complex, content-driven websites for enterprise and government. Closely comparable to MODX in technical positioning (developer-first, flexible, security-focused) and target buyer.
• Webflow: Visual web development and CMS platform with subscription SaaS hosting. Competes with MODX for site-owner and agency mindshare, particularly where visual editing and managed infrastructure are decision criteria.
• Joomla: Open-source PHP CMS competing in the same self-hosted, developer-customizable CMS category as MODX. Targets similar SMB and mid-market use cases with a freemium, community-supported model.
• WordPress: The dominant open-source PHP CMS powering the majority of the web. Directly competes with MODX Revolution for self-hosted CMS deployments targeting developers, agencies, and SMBs, with a vastly larger plugin and theme ecosystem.

Broad incumbents

• Squarespace: Hosted website builder and CMS targeting SMBs, creators, and small businesses. Overlaps with MODX for site-owner use cases but offers a closed, all-in-one SaaS model rather than an open-source + managed hosting hybrid.
• Wix: Large hosted website builder with built-in CMS and commerce capabilities. Competes with MODX for SMB and mid-market site-owner demand, but as a closed-platform incumbent rather than an open-source alternative.

Emerging players

• Contentful: API-first headless CMS platform targeting enterprise digital teams. Competes for the same mid-market and enterprise content management budget that MODX Pro Sites targets, but with a headless architecture.
• Sanity: Composable content platform with structured content and real-time collaboration. Represents the emerging headless/composable alternative to traditional PHP CMSs, appealing to developer-led teams building modern digital experiences.
• Strapi: Open-source headless CMS built on Node.js. Represents the next-generation, API-first competitor to traditional coupled CMSs like MODX, targeting developers building modern JAMstack and omnichannel experiences.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• GitHubgithub.com/modxcms
• YouTubeyoutube.com/modx
• Facebookfacebook.com/modxcms
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/modx
• Instagraminstagram.com/modx_cms
• Xx.com/modx

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about MODX