CMS Max
CMS Max is a private SaaS company that provides a Laravel-based multi-tenant ecommerce and CMS platform to over 4,167 small and mid-sized businesses, serving verticals such as liquor retail, CBD, emergency medical services, and chambers of commerce through subscription plans with no transaction fees.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2013
- HeadquartersWebster, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What CMS Max does
CMS Max Inc. is a private US-based SaaS company, founded in 2013 and headquartered in Webster, New York, that builds and operates a multi-tenant ecommerce and content management platform for small and mid-sized businesses. The company serves over 4,167 customers across regulated and niche SMB verticals including liquor retail (Liquor Max), CBD and vape (CMS Apex), emergency medical services (Ambulance Max), and chambers of commerce (Chamber Max), reporting that more than $2.36 billion in merchant transactions pass through the platform annually. Underlying technology is a Laravel PHP-based multi-tenant architecture with more than 100 third-party integrations spanning POS systems (Aloha, Micros), payments (Max Payments), analytics, CRM, and a Nexus Connector framework, supported by a 30-day free trial and compliance certifications including SOC 2 Type II, HIPAA, GDPR, and CCPA.
The product portfolio centers on a CMS and online-store builder with AI-assisted features for form generation, content optimization, image alt-text, and spam detection, plus Maxforms as a dedicated form-builder line announced for 2026. Plans are priced on a subscription SaaS basis with a $40/month POS integration tier and a $150/month Ultimate tier bundling ADA-compliance tooling, and the company maintains vertical-specific sub-brands to position against one-size-fits-all competitors. Headcount sits in the 11-50 range and no external funding or parent-company ownership is disclosed, indicating a bootstrapped operating model.
Business model is a subscription SaaS with no per-transaction fees, positioning CMS Max as a lower-cost alternative to percentage-based ecommerce platforms and as a multi-vertical specialist rather than a horizontal generalist. Go-to-market appears to combine direct SMB sales with an agency-partner channel enabled by the developer-friendly Laravel architecture.
CMS Max firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- CMS Max
- Legal name
- CMS Max Inc.
- Website
- https://cmsmax.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2013
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- CMS Max is a private SaaS company that provides a Laravel-based multi-tenant ecommerce and CMS platform to over 4,167 small and mid-sized businesses, serving verticals such as liquor retail, CBD, emergency medical services, and chambers of commerce through subscription plans with no transaction fees.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
CMS Max industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Ecommerce website builder and content management system
- NAICS
- Custom Computer Programming Services (541511)
- SIC
- Services-Prepackaged Software (7372)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Blogging & CMS Content Platforms (BPAMAJAG)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Software/SaaS Subscriptions (Consumer & Prosumer) (CRAFAIAB)
Keywords
Where CMS Max is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Webster
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
CMS Max business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Personnel, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Operations
Revenue model
- SaaS Subscription Fees: Monthly subscription fees for website platform access, billed on the 1st of each month. Subscription tiers include Ultimate plan at $150/month with built-in accessibility support and ADA monitoring.
- Payment Processing: Payment processing through Stripe Connect with Max Payments. CMS Max may receive payment processing residuals from transactions.
- POS Integration Services: Integration services for POS systems including Nexus Connector, Octopus Bridge, and various POS-specific integrations.
- Domain Transfer and Management: Domain transfer and managed registrar services at $24/year for proper 301 redirect configuration.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Monthly | CMS Max Ultimate - All-in-one website platform with accessibility support |
| Subscription | Monthly | PHP Point of Sale Integration Plan |
| Freemium | Pay-as-you-go | 30-Day Free Trial |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels10 records
CMS Max product offering
Product offeringCore offering
CMS Max is a proprietary, Laravel-based SaaS ecommerce website builder and content management system that enables retailers to launch SEO-friendly online stores with native point-of-sale (POS) integration. The platform combines website hosting, product/inventory management, payment processing, tax calculation, shipping, and local delivery into a single multi-tenant solution, supplemented by vertical-specific sub-brands for liquor, CBD/vape, healthcare transport, chambers of commerce, and a separate AI-powered form builder (Maxforms).
Product overview
CMS Max is a multi-tenant SaaS ecommerce platform and website builder built on the Laravel PHP framework. The core CMS Max platform serves as the main offering, complemented by specialized vertical sub-brands including Liquor Max (for wine, spirits, cider, sake retailers), CMS Apex (for CBD and vape businesses), Chamber Max (for chambers of commerce, launching 2026), and Ambulance Max (for medical transport with HIPAA compliance). Additional products include Maxforms (AI-powered form builder), Max Payments (payment processing via Stripe Connect), and Nexus Connector (POS integration middleware). The platform offers 100+ direct integrations plus Zapier connectivity, supporting ecommerce operations including inventory management, order fulfillment (shipping, pickup, local delivery via DoorDash), tax calculation (TaxJar), and analytics. CMS Max Ultimate is a premium $150/month tier including ADA compliance monitoring with quarterly accessibility scans.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Maxforms: AI-powered online form builder for creating secure forms, collecting payments, and automating workflows
- Liquor Max
- CMS Apex
- Chamber Max
- Ambulance Max
- Max Payments
- Nexus Connector
- CBD CMS
Products and services
- CMS Max Core Platform Flagship SEO-friendly ecommerce website builder and content management system, built on the Laravel PHP framework, that enables retailers to launch integrated online stores with real-time inventory sync, payment processing, tax calculation, shipping, and local delivery capabilities.
- Liquor Max Specialized ecommerce platform for liquor stores selling wine, spirits, cider, and sake, including age verification, liquor license compliance, beverage database with wine ratings, and ShipEngine alcohol shipping support.
- CMS Apex Ecommerce platform for CBD, vape, and related retail businesses requiring age verification for customers aged 21 and over, with compliance features for age-restricted products.
- Ambulance Max Website platform for ambulance and medical transport services that incorporates HIPAA-conscious workflows, secure patient intake forms, and Business Associate Agreement execution for covered entities.
- Maxforms AI-powered online form builder and Jotform alternative that enables businesses to create secure forms for lead capture, healthcare intake, registrations, payments, surveys, and operational workflows, with AI-assisted creation, conditional logic, and HIPAA-conscious workflows.
- Nexus Connector POS integration middleware that synchronizes product data, inventory, customer information, and orders bidirectionally between CMS Max and various point-of-sale systems including Clover, PHP POS, NCR Counterpoint, Korona POS, and Flowhub.
- Max Payments Payment processing solution powered by Stripe Connect that enables merchant payouts and transaction handling within the CMS Max platform, from which CMS Max may receive payment processing residuals.
- Chamber Max Website platform targeted at chambers of commerce, scheduled for launch in 2026.
Quantifiable outcome
- $2,360,000,000+ in transactions processed yearly across 4,167+ customers
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use CMS Max
Customer profileNamed customers8 records
Segments6 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
CMS Max technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- Yes
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration31 records
AI capability8 records
Feature6 records
CMS Max partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
13 partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- PHP Point of SalecoreNative integration between PHP Point of Sale and CMS Max ecommerce platform. Provides real-time inventory sync, multi-location support, customer data sync, and direct API integration. Supports PHP POS version 19.0 and newer.
- Clover POScoreIntegration via Nexus Connector for real-time data synchronization between Clover POS and CMS Max ecommerce websites. Supports inventory and sales data updates across platforms.
- FlowhubcoreCannabis retail POS integration supporting dispensary menu links, store location pages, online ordering calls to action, and cannabis retail website content. Flowhub provides regulated commerce platform including POS, inventory, compliance, ecommerce, payments, analytics, and loyalty.
- Korona POScoreIntegration via Nexus Connector bridging Korona POS with CMS Max ecommerce platform. Provides real-time inventory sync, enhanced sales analytics, streamlined operations, and SEO optimization.
- NCR CounterpointcoreIntegration planning for NCR Counterpoint POS data to CMS Max ecommerce websites. May use Octopus Bridge, supported connectors, or custom workflows for product sync, inventory management, and SEO-ready catalog pages.
- Octopus Bridge (24Seven Commerce)coreMiddleware connector syncing POS inventory with CMS Max ecommerce stores. Supports 24+ retail POS platforms including Auto-Star, Acceo Smartvendor, Bepoz, Counterpoint, ERPLY, Fred POS, Loyverse, Liquor POS, QuickBooks POS, Vend HQ POS, and others.
- Laravel CloudcoreHosting infrastructure and server management. All CMS Max services are hosted on Laravel Cloud infrastructure in the United States.
- Stripe ConnectcorePayment processing and merchant payouts via Stripe Connect. Bank account details for payment processing. CMS Max may receive payment processing residuals.
- TaxJarcoreAutomated sales tax calculation and filing integration. Helps merchants calculate and collect sales tax via TaxJar integration.
- Google Merchant CentercoreProduct listing synchronization. Sync product data with Google Merchant Center for product feed visibility.
- MailguncoreTransactional email delivery for order confirmations and account communications.
- TwiliocoreSMS notifications service (opt-in only) for order confirmations, shipping updates, form submission notifications, and account alerts. SMS opt-in via text keyword to 718-305-4451.
- ZapiercoreIntegration automation platform extending CMS Max connectivity to thousands of third-party applications and services beyond the 100+ direct integrations.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
CMS Max competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Squarespace: Squarespace is a website builder with strong design templates and ecommerce add-ons, targeting SMBs, creators, and small retailers. Directly competes with CMS Max for SMB customers prioritizing ease of use and integrated ecommerce on a website builder.
- Webflow: Webflow is a visual website builder targeting designers, agencies, and SMBs with CMS and ecommerce (Webflow Ecommerce) capabilities. Comparable to CMS Max for agencies building client websites with strong SEO focus and customization.
- WooCommerce: WooCommerce is the leading open-source ecommerce plugin for WordPress, popular with SMB retailers who want flexibility and ownership of their storefront. Comparable to CMS Max on ecommerce CMS functionality and SEO-friendly website building, differing on open-source vs. proprietary hosting model.
- GoDaddy Online Store: GoDaddy's website builder and Online Store product targets micro and SMB merchants with simple ecommerce and integrated payments. Comparable as a low-cost, self-serve website + ecommerce platform competing for the same small business customers.
- BigCommerce: BigCommerce is a SaaS ecommerce platform targeting mid-market and enterprise merchants with headless commerce, multi-channel selling, and POS integrations. Directly comparable as a SaaS ecommerce CMS targeting similar SMB-to-mid-market retailers as CMS Max.
- Square Online: Square Online is Square's integrated ecommerce website builder tightly coupled with Square POS, offering free and low-cost tiers for small retailers. Directly competes with CMS Max's POS-integrated ecommerce proposition and targets the same SMB retail segment.
- Wix: Wix is a SaaS website builder with ecommerce capabilities (Wix Stores) and an extensive app marketplace targeting SMBs and individual merchants. Comparable as a self-serve website builder with ecommerce functionality at similar price points to CMS Max Ultimate.
- Jotform: Jotform is the leading SaaS online form builder with payment forms, conditional logic, and HIPAA-compliant tiers. Directly comparable to CMS Max's newly launched Maxforms product, which is explicitly positioned as a Jotform alternative.
Broad incumbents
- Shopify: Shopify is the dominant all-in-one ecommerce platform with built-in POS (Shopify POS), website builder, payments, and a massive app ecosystem. Directly competes with CMS Max for SMB retailers wanting an integrated ecommerce + POS solution, with materially larger resources and brand recognition.
- Adobe Commerce (Magento): Adobe Commerce (formerly Magento) is an enterprise ecommerce platform offering both open-source and SaaS editions, serving mid-market and enterprise retailers. Comparable ecommerce CMS functionality with deeper customization, competing for larger merchants CMS Max targets.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
CMS Max social profiles
Digital presenceCMS Max compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance5 records
CMS Max financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
CMS Max leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
CMS Max funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
CMS Max M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about CMS Max
What does CMS Max do?
CMS Max is a proprietary, Laravel-based SaaS ecommerce website builder and content management system that enables retailers to launch SEO-friendly online stores with native point-of-sale (POS) integration. The platform combines website hosting, product/inventory management, payment processing, tax calculation, shipping, and local delivery into a single multi-tenant solution, supplemented by vertical-specific sub-brands for liquor, CBD/vape, healthcare transport, chambers of commerce, and a separate AI-powered form builder (Maxforms).
Is CMS Max a public or private company?
CMS Max is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was CMS Max founded?
CMS Max was founded in 2013. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is CMS Max based?
CMS Max is headquartered in Webster, United States, in the North America region.
How does CMS Max make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. SaaS Subscription Fees are the primary driver. The others are payment Processing, POS Integration Services and domain Transfer and Management.
Who are CMS Max's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Squarespace, Webflow, WooCommerce, GoDaddy Online Store, BigCommerce, Square Online, Wix and Jotform. Broad incumbents are Shopify and Adobe Commerce (Magento).
Does CMS Max have an API?
Yes. CMS Max offers a public API that enables developers to connect to their platform. The API supports product synchronization, inventory management, customer data, order processing, and various ecommerce operations. API documentation is available at https://cmsmax.cloud/docs/api#/. Developer documentation is at cmsmax.cloud/docs/api#.
What industry is CMS Max in?
CMS Max's product category is Ecommerce website builder and content management system. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAMAJAG, Blogging & CMS Content Platforms, with a secondary code of CRAFAIAB, Software/SaaS Subscriptions (Consumer & Prosumer). Its NAICS code is 541511 and its SIC code is 7372.