Most Promising Open Source CMS Final: MODx

History

MODx is an open source project, run by a talented group of people adamant about not creating YAPS (Yet Another Portal System).

On the business and technical end of things, MODx is licensed as a GPL project, which translates into free for anyone to use. It's built in PHP, uses a MySQL database backend and runs on pretty much any version of either released in the last few years. For web servers, it'll work with either Apache or IIS. Its Control Panel, or Manager if you prefer, runs on pretty much any modern browser, including Safari. It also allows you to quickly leverage the lastest rage of AJAX/Web 2.0 technologies.

MODx is 100% buzzword compliant, and makes child's play of building content managed sites with validating, accessible CSS layouts – hence Ajax CMS. It empowers its users to build engaging "Web 2.0" sites today, with its pre-integrated Scriptaculous and Prototype libraries. If you're a CSS designer or Ajax aficionado, this is the CMS for you; and if you like what you see today, you'll love what's coming.

Techies call MODx a Content Management Framework ("CMF"): equal parts custom web app builder and Content Management System ("CMS"). With a flexible API and a robust event override system, MODx makes building engaging web projects straightforward — or changing core functionality without hacking the core code possible. Custom tweaks won't leave you pulling out your hair when it's time to upgrade.

Not only does MODx help you build sites quickly, but it also is both robust and simple. As far as end-users know, MODx is just an easy-to-use online application; for developers there's freely available resources and a fantastic end-user community.