Movable Type

Content Management Systemmovabletype.com

Movable Type, developed by Six Apart Ltd. since 2001, is a Perl-based CMS and blog publishing platform sold via direct license ($499/year ProUnlimited) and AWS Marketplace AMI, serving web publishers and content managers globally.

Company typePrivate
Founded2001
HeadquartersSan Francisco, United States
Headcount51–100
GTM typeB2B
OfferingSoftware

What Movable Type does

Movable Type is a content management system, blog software, and publishing platform developed and commercialized by Six Apart Ltd., a privately held Japanese corporation headquartered in Tokyo and governed under Japanese law (exclusive jurisdiction of Tokyo District Court). Originally introduced in 2001 and now at version 9 (released 2023), the platform is positioned as enterprise-grade publishing software with unlimited users per server, targeting web publishers and content managers that require scalable multi-user content operations. The flagship release emphasizes content management "beyond the web" via a Data API that enables headless CMS use cases, allowing programmatic creation, reading, updating, and deletion of content.

The underlying technology is a Perl-based CMS with PSGI server support, PHP compatibility, and a MySQL/database backend, deployed alongside either Apache httpd or nginx. A significant distribution and deployment option is the Movable Type AMI Edition on AWS Marketplace, a pre-configured Amazon Machine Image built on Amazon Linux 2023 (AL2023) and offered in both ARM64 and x86 architectures. The AMI bundles the OS, web server, PSGI server, PHP, and optimized database for one-step EC2 deployment, with a 7-day free trial across all instance types and a permanent free tier on t3.micro/t3.nano.

The business model combines four revenue streams: one-time perpetual software license sales with one year of included maintenance; recurring annual subscriptions via the ProUnlimited tier at $499 per year (license repurchase required annually after the initial free maintenance period to continue receiving updates and upgrades); usage-based and annual AWS Marketplace billing ($0.07/hour or $499/year, with a free tier on micro instances); and technical support services outsourced to partner COLSIS, Inc. at $500/month or $1,200 for a three-month package. Go-to-market is overwhelmingly self-service and product-led, with direct download and PayPal-based purchase from the corporate website and AWS Marketplace as the primary acquisition channels, supported by content marketing through documentation and brochures. Customer segmentation is horizontal across web publishers and cloud-native deployments, with no publicly disclosed named customers, customer logos, or enterprise contract references.

Movable Type firmographics

Firmographics

Name: Movable Type
Legal name: Six Apart Ltd.
Website: https://movabletype.com
Company type: Private
Founded year: 2001
Operating status: Operating
Headcount range: 51–100 employees
Short description: Movable Type, developed by Six Apart Ltd. since 2001, is a Perl-based CMS and blog publishing platform sold via direct license ($499/year ProUnlimited) and AWS Marketplace AMI, serving web publishers and content managers globally.
Ownership category
akta.pro rank

Where Movable Type is headquartered

Location

Headquarters

HQ city: San Francisco
HQ country: United States
HQ region: North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

Movable Type business model

Business model

GTM type: B2B
Offering type: Software
Cost components: Personnel, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Operations

Revenue model

Software License Sales: One-time perpetual license for Movable Type software. License includes unlimited users per server. Customer receives free maintenance (updates and upgrades) for one year following purchase. After one year, must renew license to continue receiving maintenance.
Annual Subscription/Maintenance: After initial one-year free maintenance period, customers must repurchase license to receive continued updates and upgrades. PRO UNLIMITED plan at $499/year.
AWS Marketplace Usage: Hourly billing at $0.07 per hour for AMI Edition on standard instances. Annual billing at $499/year. Free on micro instances (t3.micro/t3.nano).
Technical Support Services: Third-party technical support provided by COLSIS, Inc. Available at $500/month or $1,200 for 3 months. English language support provided by third-party vendor.

Pricing tiers

Model	Billing	Price
Subscription	Annual	PRO UNLIMITED - Annual License
Usage-based	Pay-as-you-go	AWS AMI Hourly
Subscription	Annual	AWS AMI Annual
Subscription	Monthly	Technical Support Service

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Movable Type product offering

Product offering

Core offering

Movable Type is a content management system, blog software, and publishing platform sold under perpetual/annual software licenses by Six Apart Ltd. The product is offered both as a direct-download software license ($499/year PRO UNLIMITED plan, unlimited users, 1 server) and as a pre-configured Amazon Machine Image (AMI Edition) on AWS Marketplace with hourly or annual billing. A built-in Data API extends the platform into headless content management use cases, and optional technical support is provided by authorized partner COLSIS, Inc.

Product overview

Movable Type is a single, unified content management system and publishing platform consisting of the core Movable Type software and its associated AMI Edition deployment option. The product portfolio includes the main CMS platform (Movable Type 9), the cloud-ready AMI Edition for AWS deployment, the Data API for programmatic content management, and optional technical support and license add-ons. The core product serves as a blog software and enterprise publishing platform, while the AMI Edition provides optimized infrastructure for Amazon Web Services environments.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

Movable Type A content management system, blog software, and publishing platform developed by Six Apart Ltd. for organizations and individuals to create and manage digital content and websites. Sold as a software license ($499/year PRO UNLIMITED, unlimited users on 1 server) with one year of included maintenance and updates.
Movable Type AMI Edition

Companies that use Movable Type

Customer profile

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Movable Type technology and API

Technology

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API: Yes
API docs
API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Movable Type partnerships and signals

Strategic signal

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

AWS (Amazon Web Services)coreTechnology or IntegrationMovable Type AMI Edition available on AWS Marketplace. Pre-configured Amazon Machine Images include OS, web server, PSGI server, PHP, and database optimized for Movable Type. Based on Amazon Linux 2023 (AL2023). Available in both ARM64 and x86 architectures.
COLSIS, Inc.coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerCOLSIS, Inc. is a web developer and Six Apart ProNet partner in Japan providing technical support services for Movable Type in English. Services available at $500/month or $1,200 for 3 months.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Movable Type competitors and assessment

Company assessment

Direct peers

Joomla: Open-source CMS platform competing in the same mid-market publishing and website management segment as Movable Type, with a PHP-based architecture.
Strapi: Open-source headless CMS built on Node.js. Competes with Movable Type in the headless/headful hybrid CMS space, particularly for developer-led content management implementations.
Contentful: Leading headless CMS platform. Most directly comparable to Movable Type's Data API headless positioning, targeting developer-driven content management for modern digital experiences.
Drupal: Open-source enterprise CMS used for complex publishing and content management at scale. Competes with Movable Type for large-organization CMS deployments, particularly in government and higher education.
WordPress: The dominant open-source blogging and CMS platform with a massive ecosystem. Directly competes with Movable Type in the self-hosted publishing and content management space, though with a PHP/MySQL stack versus Movable Type's Perl.
Ghost: Modern open-source publishing platform focused on professional blogging and newsletters. Competes directly with Movable Type in the content publishing space, with a more modern Node.js-based stack.

Broad incumbents

Squarespace: Hosted website builder and CMS for SMBs and creators. Overlaps with Movable Type's publishing and blog management use cases, but targets non-technical users with a fully managed SaaS model.
Wix: Hosted website and content management platform for SMBs. Overlaps with Movable Type's small-business and individual publisher segments, with a drag-and-drop, fully hosted approach.
Adobe Experience Manager: Enterprise-level digital experience and content management platform from Adobe. Competes with Movable Type for large enterprise CMS deployments, particularly in media and publishing, with a much broader feature portfolio.

Emerging players

Sanity: Modern headless CMS with structured content and real-time collaboration. An emerging player in the same headless CMS segment that Movable Type's Data API targets, though built on a more developer-friendly modern stack.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Movable Type financial estimates

Financial estimate

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Movable Type leadership team

Management profile

Number of profiles

Movable Type funding detail

Funding detail

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

Movable Type M&A and investment

M&A and investment

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Movable Type

What does Movable Type do?

Is Movable Type a public or private company?

Movable Type is a private company. It is classified as unknown and is currently operating.

When was Movable Type founded?

Movable Type was founded in 2001. It employs 51 to 100 people.

Where is Movable Type based?

Movable Type is headquartered in San Francisco, United States, in the North America region.

How does Movable Type make money?

Four revenue lines are on record. Software License Sales are the primary driver. The others are annual Subscription/Maintenance, AWS Marketplace Usage and technical Support Services.

Who are Movable Type's main competitors?

Direct peers on record are Joomla, Strapi, Contentful, Drupal, WordPress and Ghost. Broad incumbents are Squarespace, Wix and Adobe Experience Manager. Sanity is listed as an emerging player.

Does Movable Type have an API?

Yes. Movable Type Data API enables managing content beyond the web. The API allows developers to build applications that can create, read, update, and delete content managed in Movable Type.