Apostrophe

A Node.js and MongoDB CMS where editors change content directly on the live page, and developers can also use it headless with Astro.

4.7k stars, 653 forks JavaScript On GitHub since February 2013

Visit website View on GitHub How to run it

What is Apostrophe?

ApostropheCMS is a full-stack content management system written in JavaScript. Content creators edit text and widgets in place on the page they are viewing instead of switching to a separate admin screen. Developers build sites with Node.js, or run it headless behind any front end; starter kits for Astro keep visual editing in that setup. It lists advanced permissions, workflows and automated translations among its enterprise features. It needs Node.js 20 or newer and MongoDB 6 or newer, and the admin area offers six interface languages.

Good fit if

  • Your developers work in JavaScript and your editors want to see changes in context.
  • You want one CMS that can serve classic pages and a headless front end.

Look elsewhere if

  • You build in Python and want structured page models: Wagtail.
  • You prefer a PHP CMS with a large plugin market: WordPress.

Before you adopt it

Our data could not match its license to a known one, so the page lists it as not open source by the OSI definition; read the license file in the repository before relying on it. A team of about a dozen people contributed recently. There is no Docker setup in the repository, so you install Node.js and MongoDB yourself or use MongoDB Atlas.

Drafted with AI from the project's README and repository data, then checked against that data on 31 October 2026. Report a correction

Apostrophe health: is it still maintained?

70 of 100, actively developed

  • Activity
    100 commits in the last 90 days, the latest on 2 November 2026.
    24 / 30
  • Contributors
    12 people wrote the latest 100 commits; the most active wrote 44% of them.
    15 / 20
  • Releases
    No releases published on GitHub.
    6 / 20
  • Replies to issues
    Maintainers answered 88% of recent issues, with a median first reply after 14 hours.
    19 / 20
  • Security practices
    OpenSSF Scorecard 6.4 of 10.
    6 / 10

Read from GitHub on 4 November 2026. How the score works

Apostrophe license: is it open source?

We could not identify the license of Apostrophe. Check the repository before you build on it.

  1. February 2013First published on GitHub.
  2. TodayUnidentified license.

How to run Apostrophe yourself

Docker
No Docker files in the repository
Compose file
None in the repository
Setup effort
Not rated: no compose file to judge from
Kubernetes
No Helm chart in the repository
Desktop and mobile
No app builds in GitHub releases
Interface languages
6 languages

Install instructions: apostrophecms.com or the README on GitHub.

Alternatives to Apostrophe

  • JoomlaHome of the Joomla! Content Management System 85 health · GPL-2.0 · 5.2k stars
  • UmbracoUmbraco is a free and open source .NET content management system helping you deliver delightful digital… 90 health · MIT · 5.3k stars
  • WagtailA Django content management system focused on flexibility and user experience 87 health · BSD-3-Clause · 20.6k stars
  • octoberSelf-hosted CMS platform based on the Laravel PHP Framework. 75 health · Unidentified license · 11.2k stars
  • WordPressWordPress, Git-ified. This repository is just a mirror of the WordPress subversion repository. Please do not… 66 health · GPL-2.0 · 21.5k stars

All 6 projects in Websites & CMS

Questions about Apostrophe

Is Apostrophe open source?

We could not identify its license, so treat it as not open source until you have checked the repository.

Is Apostrophe still maintained?

Its health score is 70 of 100 (actively developed). It had 100 commits in the last 90 days, the latest on 2 November 2026.

How do I run Apostrophe?

The repository has no Docker files or app builds, so you build it from source. The README on GitHub has the steps.

What are the alternatives to Apostrophe?

Close alternatives in the Websites & CMS category include Joomla, Umbraco, Wagtail.