Dotclear is a free, open-source PHP blogging platform with themes, plugins, and multi-blog support. See 2026 features, pricing, and how it compares to…
Category
Content Marketing
Pricing
Free / Open Source, from Free
Verified
Not yet
Last updated
July 18, 2026
Founded
2002
Web AppOpen SourceTemplatesSelf-Hosted
Overview
Dotclear is a free, open-source content management system purpose-built for blogging, allowing a single self-hosted installation to run multiple independent blogs with support for wiki or XHTML syntax, standalone pages, and native podcast publishing.
Originally created by French developer Olivier Meunier in 2002 and released as open source in 2003, Dotclear is maintained entirely by a volunteer community rather than a company, with no headquarters or commercial ownership structure.
Key Features
Built in PHP with support for MySQL, MariaDB, PostgreSQL, and SQLite databases, Dotclear can be extended through community plugins and widgets and customized with user-contributed themes distributed via DotAddict.org.
The project moved from GPLv2 to the stronger AGPLv3 license in March 2024, and continues active development, including version 2.33's modernization of the admin interface toward vanilla JavaScript.
Pricing
Dotclear is entirely free and open source with no subscription tiers or paid version of the core software. The only cost is whatever web hosting a user chooses to run it on; some hosts offer one-click Dotclear installers as a convenience.
Key Features
Multi-blog management — Runs multiple independent blogs from a single Dotclear installation.
Wiki and XHTML syntax — Lets authors write entries using either a simplified wiki syntax or standard XHTML.
Native podcast support — Publishes and distributes audio content directly through the platform without a third-party plugin.
Standalone pages — Supports pages that exist independently from the chronological blog entry flow.
Plugin and widget ecosystem — Extends core functionality through a community-maintained library of plugins and widgets.
Theme customization — Changes site appearance using user-contributed themes distributed through DotAddict.org.
Multiple database support — Works with MySQL, MariaDB, PostgreSQL, or SQLite depending on the hosting environment.
Multilingual interface — Supports a multilingual admin interface and multilingual publishing capabilities.
Pros & Cons
Pros
Completely free and open source with no paid tiers or licensing fees.
Lightweight and focused specifically on blogging rather than general-purpose site building.
Long-running, continuously maintained project with over two decades of development history.
Strong, active community and plugin ecosystem, especially in French-speaking regions.
Cons
Much smaller plugin, theme, and community ecosystem than WordPress.
Adoption and available support resources are heavily concentrated in French-speaking countries.
Requires self-hosting and basic server administration knowledge, unlike hosted blogging services.
Smaller global market share means fewer third-party tutorials and integrations in English.
Pricing
Open Source (Self-Hosted) Free N/A
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Dotclear free?
Yes. Dotclear is fully free and open-source software with no paid tiers. Users only pay for the web hosting they choose to run it on.
Who created Dotclear?
Dotclear was originally developed by French programmer Olivier Meunier starting in 2002 and released as open source in 2003.
What license does Dotclear use?
Dotclear was originally released under GPLv2 and moved to the GNU Affero General Public License version 3 (AGPLv3) in March 2024.
How does Dotclear compare to WordPress?
Dotclear is smaller and more narrowly focused on blogging, with a lighter footprint and smaller plugin ecosystem than WordPress, which dominates the broader CMS and website-building market.
What programming language is Dotclear written in?
Dotclear is written in PHP and supports MySQL, MariaDB, PostgreSQL, and SQLite databases.
Where is Dotclear most popular?
Dotclear's usage is heavily concentrated in France and other French-speaking regions, where it is used by several notable blogging platforms and institutions.