Silverstripe CMS is an open-source PHP content management system from New Zealand. See features, pricing, pros, cons and top use cases.
Silverstripe CMS is an open-source PHP content management system and framework that traces back to a company originally named Totally Digital, co-founded in Wellington, New Zealand, in February 2000 by Sam Minnee, Tim Copeland, and Sigurd Magnusson.
The founders built their first CMS product by 2003 in a Wellington tech incubator, and the decision to release the platform as open source became a turning point that expanded Silverstripe's international presence and scale of projects, including government and enterprise deployments.
Today, Silverstripe Ltd remains a Wellington-based company with roughly 100 developers, designers, and support staff, continuing to lead development of the open-source Silverstripe CMS alongside a global community of contributors.
Silverstripe CMS uses flexible content blocks that let editors compose page layouts without needing a developer for every content change, alongside built-in version control and history so any edit can be reverted.
The platform supports granular user roles, permissions, and content approval workflows, making it suitable for organizations that need editorial oversight before content is published.
Silverstripe is API-first and supports decoupled or headless delivery, meaning content managed in the CMS can also power external applications, mobile apps, or other frontends beyond the traditional website.
Silverstripe CMS itself is free and open source, with no license fee required to download, install, or modify the software for any organization.
Silverstripe Ltd, the founding company, generates revenue through commercial support contracts, managed hosting, and custom development services rather than charging for the software license itself.
Organizations can also engage the wider Silverstripe partner network of agencies for implementation and ongoing development, with costs varying by project scope rather than a fixed software price.
Yes, Silverstripe CMS is free and open source with no license fee; the founding company monetizes through commercial support, hosting, and development services instead.
Silverstripe was founded in Wellington, New Zealand, in February 2000, originally under the name Totally Digital.
Silverstripe was co-founded by Sam Minnee, Tim Copeland, and Sigurd Magnusson, all of whom remain involved with the company today.
Silverstripe CMS supports both traditional and headless or decoupled delivery, with an API-first architecture that can power external applications as well as a standard website.
Notable organizations that have used Silverstripe CMS include TVNZ, the New Zealand Government, Whittaker's, Air New Zealand, and OpenStack.
Content editors can manage pages and content blocks without coding, but customizing themes, modules, or advanced functionality typically requires PHP development skills.
Silverstripe is a PHP framework-based CMS with a strong emphasis on structured content, permissions, and headless delivery, often chosen for government and enterprise projects, while WordPress has a larger plugin ecosystem and market share overall.
Silverstripe Ltd is a Wellington, New Zealand-based company with a team of roughly 100 developers, designers, and support staff.