--- description: In this article, we learn about content management systems, their benefits, and also look at 5 CMS software which offer free versions. image: https://gdm-localsites-assets-gfprod.imgix.net/images/capterra/og_logo-e5a8c001ed0bd1bb922639230fcea71a.png?auto=format%2Cenhance%2Ccompress title: 5 free content management system software and their key features --- # 5 Free content management system software and their key features Canonical: https://www.capterra.com.au/blog/2374/free-content-management-system-software-key-features Published on 24/12/2021 | Written by Sukanya Awasthi. ![5 Free content management system software and their key features](https://images.ctfassets.net/63bmaubptoky/xkcj2mWUKEnxrtCpFlzdE4ffUP4j2ARcMad2-doYsRo/cfe37b1200ef90494a7975d76d4b6623/Content-Management-systems-AU-Capterra-Header.png) > Gone are the days when content may have been considered a ‘good to have’ feature and nothing more. Content affects more than just marketing; it has possibly become an integral aspect of businesses —affecting nearly every area including sales, merchandising, and development. A content management system can potentially help businesses attract more customers and connect with their target audience by interacting with them more frequently. ----- ## Article Content Gone are the days when content may have been considered a ‘good to have’ feature and nothing more. Content affects more than just marketing; it has possibly become an integral aspect of businesses —affecting nearly every area including sales, merchandising, and development. A content management system can potentially help businesses attract more customers and connect with their target audience by interacting with them more frequently.What is a content management system?A content management system (CMS) is a tool that allows users to create a website without having to write all of the code from scratch. The software could aid in the production, modification, publication, and deletion of all types of content and digital assets such as documents, photographs, and videos. In the next section, we discuss some of the advantages of utilising a CMS.5 Free CMS and comparisons between key featuresBenefits of using a CMSMost CMS tools let multiple users work on a task simultaneously and allow for collaboration among different team members during the production and publication of content. In addition, there are many other benefits that come from utilising CMS software, some of which are listed below.Role managementIt makes it convenient to manage roles so that only the people who have been given permission to modify or publish content using the CMS system can do so. Some CMS may also offer cybersecurity capabilities which can evaluate system needs, as well as keep users up to date and protected against security breaches.No coding skills requiredIt enables relatively non-technical people who are unfamiliar with programming languages to generate and manage their own online content, since not everyone may be equally comfortable with advanced technology. Content management It could also make the management of content relatively convenient. For example, most CMS tools offer the feature to apply changes universally, meaning if one user wants to edit something, they can do so by making a change on one web page and applying it to the entire website instead of manually updating each and every page. In this article, we have curated a list of five content management system software with a free version listed on Capterra Australia. These CMS software in Capterra’s directory have been chosen based on the following:Software offering a free versionRated at least 4/5 stars by users on Capterra AustraliaArranged in alphabetical orderHave at least 20 reviews over the past two years 1. Box BOX CRM document editing \[Source: Capterra\]Ease of use – 4.4/5Customer service – 4.2/5Features – 4.3/5Value for money – 4.3/5Box software provides a platform called ‘Content Cloud’ where users can collaborate on content-related tasks. This CMS offers features like file creation and sharing, co-editing, classification, and retention of documents. Box software also offers security capabilities such as access control in case of multiple users and watermarking. It also allows for real-time collaboration between team members both from within and outside the organisation from any device, so multiple stakeholders can work on a particular task simultaneously. A feature of Box software called Box Relay helps in automating workflows by offering pre-built templates by the vendor as well as custom-configured templates that can be created by users. Additionally, Box also provides reporting and monitoring of key business insights to admins to help them make business decisions. This CMS comes with a free version and more information on their paid version can be found at box.com. Read More 2. Directus Role management dashboard in Directus CRM \[Source: Capterra\]Ease of use – 4.5/5Customer service – 4.5/5Features – 4.4/5Value for money – 4.9/5Directus is a platform that allows users to manage the content of Structured Query Language (SQL) database vendors like PostgreSQL, MySQL, SQLite, Microsoft SQL Server, OracleDB, MariaDB, AWS Aurora, and more in real-time. Users can secure their content using encryption methods and different authentication techniques in addition to features like activity logs, revision history, soft-delete archiving etc. It lets users manage their content by providing a code-free interface where they can manage omnichannel content for websites, kiosks, eCommerce websites, and more. This CMS also offers email templates that can be used to send out individual or bulk emails to the target audience as part of companies’ marketing campaigns. In addition, Directus offers features like a dashboard where users can view, analyse, and interact with their data, a text-editing interface, document management, and workflow management. It comes with a free version and information on their paid version can be found at Directus.io. Read More 3. Lucidpress Document creation using pre-built templates in Lucidpress \[Source: Lucidpress\]Ease of use – 4.5/5Customer service – 4.3/5Features – 4.4/5Value for money – 4.5/5Lucidpress provides templating solutions using which users can create personalised brand-related content. These pre-built templates also allow users to create brochures, posters, presentations, flyers etc, and work on these marketing materials collaboratively in real-time. This CMS offers a drag-and-drop editor via which users can customise  and edit content. The platform also allows users to analyse the impact of their content using analytics. Their multi-channel distribution feature also allows users to publish their content on social media platforms and via emails. In addition, the software offers a data automation option which helps to populate the data from imported documents to Smartfields —a set of form fields that fill themselves up automatically based on data entered.Moreover, Lucidpress lets users keep all of their files in one centralised place, making it accessible for everyone who has access to the dashboard to discover, utilise and edit the material they need.  In addition, it also offers various security options to users like password protection, secure login credentials etc. The CMS has a free version and information on their paid version is available at lucidpress.com. Read More 4. Webflow SEO console in Webflow CRM \[Source: Webflow\]Ease of use – 4.1/5Customer service – 4.2/5Features – 4.4/5Value for money – 4.2/5Webflow offers a visual canvas to users using which they can build custom blogs, eCommerce stores, flyers, websites, portfolios etc, collaboratively. Using this CMS, users can create content structures, add their content, and design it themselves, making it relatively more convenient for content developers to add design elements to their work. Moreover, users can also integrate Webflow with third-party apps for task automation and tracking their analytics reports.Webflow also offers customised fields where the user can pull the desired content from a repository of files/templates and either import that content from another CMS/spreadsheet or vice versa. It also lets editors edit content already published on live websites and these changes can then be applied universally across the website. Additionally, Webflow offers a secure interface to the users through two-factor authentication, role-based permissions, backups etc. This CMS offers a free version, and to know more about their paid version and additional features, visit webflow.com. Read More 5. Zoho DocsDocument editing in Zoho Docs \[Source: Zoho\]Ease of use – 4.5/5Customer service – 4.5/5Features – 4.4/5Value for money – 4.6/5Zoho is a CMS that can be used for creating, storing, sharing, editing, and collaborating in real-time on documents of different formats such as .pdf, .xlxs, .jpg, and .html using a tool called Zoho Writer. Since it is hosted on the cloud, users can access their documents, spreadsheets, and images from different devices at different locations. Zoho also uses encryption methods to encrypt data at many levels for secured sharing and storage of files. Additionally, it also lets users interpret and analyse their data using Zoho Analytics and offers automation services like bulk signing of documents with a document automation tool.This CMS also allows users to organise their files by project, file type, and author, and helps create documents from the ground up using templates. This CMS has a free version and information on its paid version can be found at zoho.com.Read MoreWant to know more about CRMs?Check out these related articles:CRM Integration: 3 Problems It Solves For Sales TeamsERP vs CRM: What’s the Difference?Looking for a content management system? Check out our catalogue\! ## Disclaimer > MethodologyFor the free content management system software listed above, the following factors were considered:Vendors offering a completely free version of the tool. A minimum 4/5 star rating on Capterra Australia’s website.The existence of at least 20 reviews of the software over the past two years (August 2019 – August 2021) on Capterra Australia.The software mentioned in this article are listed in alphabetical order.All of the above software match Capterra’s definition of content management system (CMS) software: CMS is used for managing digital content across an enterprise and often refers specifically to managing websites and editing web content. There are many different kinds of CMS on the market —including both open-source and proprietary solutions. Many CMS software allow the creation, modification, and removal of content from the website without extended knowledge of HTML or the expertise of a webmaster. ## About the author ### Sukanya Awasthi Sukanya Awasthi is a content analyst for Capterra, covering emerging technology trends with a focus on retail, construction and ERP. With an educational background in Computer Science, she brings 8 years of hands-on experience to her writing, translating intricate technical concepts into accessible and informative insights. Sukanya’s research and analysis is informed by nearly 200,000 authentic user reviews on Capterra and over 40,000 interactions between Capterra software advisors and software buyers. Sukanya also regularly analyzes market sentiment by conducting surveys of business leaders in the construction space, as well as retail leaders and consumers, so she can provide the most up-to-date and helpful information to small and midsize businesses purchasing software or services. Her work has been featured in Financial Express, Economic Times, and Bloomberg Quint, among other publications. Outside of work, she likes to spend time with her loved ones and her two dogs. ## Related Software - [Box](https://www.capterra.com.au/software/148766/box) — 4.4/5 (5622 reviews) - [Directus](https://www.capterra.com.au/software/156619/directus) — 4.5/5 (60 reviews) - [Marq](https://www.capterra.com.au/software/1017063/lucidpress) — 4.5/5 (284 reviews) - [Webflow](https://www.capterra.com.au/software/136159/webflow) — 4.5/5 (265 reviews) ## Related Categories - [Advertising Agency Software](https://www.capterra.com.au/directory/30736/advertising-agency/software) - [eCommerce Software](https://www.capterra.com.au/directory/3/ecommerce/software) - [Marketing Automation Software](https://www.capterra.com.au/directory/6/marketing-automation/software) - [Social Media Marketing Tools](https://www.capterra.com.au/directory/30781/social-media-marketing/software) - [Web Conferencing Software](https://www.capterra.com.au/directory/30075/web-conferencing/software) ## Related Articles - [Capterra Australia’s Best Product Lists Methodologies](https://www.capterra.com.au/blog/7620/best-product-lists-methodologies) - [Aussie project managers adopt EQ for better team management, decision-making, and problem-solving](https://www.capterra.com.au/blog/6888/eq-in-project-management-strategies-for-australian-project-managers) - [Increasing workload is the most commonly reported cause of work-related stress](https://www.capterra.com.au/blog/2637/symptoms-and-causes-of-work-related-stress-in-sme-employees) - [5 Budgeting tips for small business owners](https://www.capterra.com.au/blog/2814/budgeting-tips-for-small-business-owners) - [5 Ways Australia’s Lockdown Has Fast-tracked Digital Transformation](https://www.capterra.com.au/blog/1453/australias-lockdown-fast-tracked-digital-transformation) ## Links - [View on Capterra](https://www.capterra.com.au/blog/2374/free-content-management-system-software-key-features) - [Blog](https://www.capterra.com.au/blog) - [Home](https://www.capterra.com.au/) ----- ## Structured Data