Composr CMS Overview and Alternatives

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Composr CMS is a powerful and flexible content management system that offers a wide range of features and tools for building and managing websites.

Composr CMS has a strong focus on community building, with built-in features such as forums, chat rooms, and user profiles.

Composr CMS is free and open-source, which means that it can be downloaded and used by anyone without any licensing fees or restrictions.

Composr CMS is written in PHP and uses a MySQL database to store data, making it a great choice for websites that require high performance and scalability.

Features

Composr CMS has a wide range of features that make it a powerful tool for creating and managing websites.

Content management is a key feature of Composr, allowing you to manage your website's structure and pages, as well as custom content types, galleries, news and blogging, discussion forums, and more.

Composr uses a number of built-in languages to build up web content and structure, including Comcode, Tempcode, Filtercode, and Selectcode.

Expand your knowledge: Website Structure Audit Report

Credit: youtube.com, An introduction to Composr

Composr is module-orientated, rather than node-orientated, which means that common software components are designed for maximum integration rather than maximum choice.

Some unique features of Composr include automatic banning of hackers, core integration with spammer block lists, and integration with third-party forum software for user accounts and forums.

Composr also has a range of built-in features that make it a secure and flexible CMS, including a Setup Wizard to create unique, personalized design layouts, an intuitive and automatically handled search engine optimization (SEO), and a WYSIWYG editor.

Composr's built-in affiliate tracking service allows you to track when a site visitor clicks on an affiliated ad, removing the need for additional affiliate tracking software.

Here are some of the key features of Composr:

  • Content Management of website structure and pages
  • Content Management of custom content types ("Catalogues")
  • Galleries (Photos and Videos)
  • News and Blogging
  • Discussion Forums
  • Chat Rooms
  • Advertising management ("Banners")
  • Calendars
  • File management ("Downloads")
  • wikis ("Wiki+")
  • Quizzes
  • Newsletters
  • Community Points
  • Automatic banning of hackers
  • Core integration with spammer block lists
  • Setup Wizard to create unique, personalized design layouts
  • Intuitive and automatically handled search engine optimization (SEO)
  • Built-in affiliate tracking service

Installation and Hosting

Composr 10 hosting requirements are relatively straightforward. You'll need to have Apache, IIS, or Nginx installed, along with 50MB of disk space.

To give you a better idea of the space required, Composr with Softaculous Cloud requires 49.72 MB of space. This is a relatively small footprint, making it a great option for shared hosting plans.

Composr can run on various web servers, including Apache, IIS, and Nginx. You'll also need to have PHP 5.1 or higher installed, with GD2 and a minimum memory limit of 32MB.

Hosting Requirements:

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To get Composr 10 up and running, you'll need to meet some specific hosting requirements. Apache, IIS, or Nginx are the recommended web servers.

Composr 10 requires a relatively small amount of disk space, just 50MB. This is a good thing, as it means you can host Composr on a budget-friendly shared hosting plan.

For the database, you'll need to have MySQL 5.5.3 or higher installed. This will give you a solid foundation for storing and retrieving data.

PHP 5.1 or higher is also required, along with the GD2 library and a minimum memory limit of 32MB. This will ensure that Composr can handle the necessary tasks without running into any issues.

Here's a summary of the hosting requirements:

Quick Install with Softaculous

Composr can be quickly installed with Softaculous Cloud, which requires only 49.72 MB of space.

The latest version of Composr was released on 18-08-2024.

If you have any questions or need support, you can visit the Composr support site.

Composr has received 22 reviews from users who appreciate its built-in features and ease of use.

Request Custom Demo Installation

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If you want a demo installation that's all yours, you can request a custom instance with a lifetime of 24 hours. This is a great option if you don't want to worry about your settings being overwritten by others.

You can get this custom demo instance within seconds by using the provided form. Just fill it out and you'll receive a link to your own free instance.

Installation Detection

Installation detection is crucial to ensure the success of your installation. It's a process that involves identifying potential issues before they become major problems.

A common issue with installation detection is neglecting to check for compatibility between the installation and the hosting environment. This can lead to a range of problems, including slow load times and errors.

Regularly checking for updates and patches is essential to maintain the integrity of your installation. This can be done by setting up automated updates, which can be configured to run at set intervals.

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In some cases, installation detection may require manual intervention to resolve issues. This can involve troubleshooting and debugging to identify the root cause of the problem.

Proper installation detection can save you a lot of time and effort in the long run. It's a proactive approach that can help prevent costly mistakes and ensure a smooth installation process.

Security, Accessibility, Support

Composr 10 is known for its robust security features, including secure APIs, encrypted stored data, and proactive hack detection.

The CMS is designed to be safer to operate, with no need to worry about the security of third-party plugins. This is thanks to the inclusion of many built-in features.

Composr 10 is fully compliant with the Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI), making it accessible to a wide range of users.

The Developers' guides provide detailed information on security and accessibility, and are available on the Composr 10 homepage.

There are over 200 free tutorials available to help new users get started with the CMS.

Credit: youtube.com, CMS Connected: What is Web Accessibility

The Composr 10 community forum and chat room offer a great resource for discussing topics and getting help from other users.

If you need professional support, you can purchase credits and spend them whenever you need help. 50 credits cost around $350.

You can choose from two types of support: 'Budget' or 'Normal'. Budget support is cheaper, but may take longer to respond to your query.

Criticisms and Limitations

Composr's primary weak point is its relatively small community, which has resulted in a limited number of community addons and themes being released compared to other projects like Drupal and Wordpress.

This lack of third-party addons can be attributed to the fact that Composr has a large number of built-in features, which some fans argue is both the reason and the solution to the problem.

Composr is a free software programmed in PHP, which is a significant advantage, but it also means that users may not have access to the same level of customization and flexibility as they would with other content management systems.

Here are some key characteristics of Composr that may impact its adoption:

  • Blog software
  • Website management
  • Cross-platform software
  • Content management systems
  • Free content management systems
  • Free software programmed in PHP
  • 2004 software

Market Share

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Composr's market share has been impacted, with a notable decrease of 0.0001 percentage points for all sites. This decline is significant, as it's the largest among all segments.

The market share for Composr is still relatively small, with only 34 websites using the platform across all sites. This is a decrease from the previous period, where it was found on 9 top level domains.

Here's a breakdown of the market share for Composr across different site categories:

It's worth noting that the market share for Composr has dropped by 50% for all sites, highlighting the challenges the platform faces in maintaining its user base.

Criticisms

Composr's community has been criticized for being relatively small. This has led to a limited number of community addons and themes being released.

One of the main reasons for this is the number of built-in features that Composr offers. Some fans argue that these features both contribute to and solve the lack of popular third-party addons.

Security Logo
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Composr is primarily used as blog software, which might affect its appeal to a wider audience. It was first released in 2004, and since then, it has been used for website management.

Here are some of the key characteristics of Composr:

  • Blog software
  • 2004 software
  • Website management
  • Cross-platform software
  • Content management systems
  • Free content management systems
  • Free software programmed in PHP

Who and What

Composr 10 is best suited for users who are inventive and have a clear vision for their website. This is because it offers high levels of control and customization.

Composr 10's built-in Setup Wizard makes it a good choice for users who want a high degree of control without needing to be programmers. However, it's not ideal for complete CMS beginners.

The ocPortal team takes an honest approach to their product, acknowledging that other CMSs may be more suitable in certain situations. For example, WordPress is a better choice for bloggers.

Key Facts

Composr CMS has been around for a long time, first released on January 1, 2004.

The current version of Composr CMS is 10.0.15, which was released on April 18, 2018.

Composr CMS has a user rating of 3.78 out of 5, based on 45 votes.

Here's a breakdown of the languages supported by Composr CMS:

Composr CMS is licensed under the Common Public Attribution License Version 1.0 (CPAL-1.0).

Who Should Use?

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If you're inventive and have a clear vision for your website, Composr 10 might be the perfect solution.

Composr 10's built-in e-commerce function makes it a good choice for users wanting to start their own webstore. This feature allows users to easily set up an online store.

Composr 10's WAI compliance means it is the best CMS option for those with online accessibility issues, like the blind or the visually impaired. This is especially helpful for users who need to ensure their website is accessible to everyone.

The ocPortal team takes an honest approach to their product by explaining what Composr 10 is not. This includes acknowledging that other CMSs may be more suitable in some instances, like WordPress for bloggers or eZ for Enterprise Intranets.

Complementary Technologies

Complementary Technologies play a crucial role in the functionality of Composr, a content management system. The system relies on various technologies to operate efficiently.

Apache HTTP Server is one of the primary web servers used by Composr, with 19 websites relying on it. This number is significant, indicating a strong presence of Apache HTTP Server in the Composr ecosystem.

Worth a look: Nextjs Cms

Credit: youtube.com, Complementary Technologies

PHP is another essential programming language used by Composr, with 14 websites utilizing it. This high number speaks to the language's importance in the system's development.

Google Hosted Libraries and cdnjs are two notable content delivery networks (CDNs) used by Composr, each with 2 websites relying on them. These CDNs help improve the system's performance and reduce latency.

Here's a breakdown of the complementary technologies used by Composr:

Complementary Technologies

Composr CMS is a powerful platform that can be complemented by various technologies to enhance its functionality. One of these technologies is the Apache HTTP Server, a web server that can be used in conjunction with Composr to provide a robust and scalable solution.

The Apache HTTP Server has 19 websites that compare it to Composr. This suggests that it is a widely used and well-established technology in the industry.

A programming language that can be used with Composr is PHP, which has 14 websites comparing it to Composr. PHP is a popular choice for web development and can be used to create custom plugins and themes for Composr.

For your interest: Server for Website Hosting

Credit: youtube.com, Composr CMS (Part 1: Templating)

Composr can also be complemented by content delivery networks (CDNs) such as Google Hosted Libraries, which has 2 websites comparing it to Composr. CDNs can help improve the performance and reliability of Composr by caching static content and reducing the load on the server.

Here is a list of complementary technologies that can be used with Composr, along with the number of websites that compare them to Composr:

These are just a few examples of the many technologies that can be used with Composr to enhance its functionality and performance. By choosing the right combination of technologies, developers can create robust and scalable solutions that meet the needs of their users.

Versions and Updates

Composr CMS has a robust versioning system, which is essential for any content management system.

The majority of users are running Composr Version 10, which accounts for a significant 93.33% of all installations.

Composr Version 10 is further divided into minor versions, with Version 10.0 being the most widely used.

Here's a breakdown of the version distribution:

  • v10 (93.33%)
  • Unknown (6.667%)

Similarly, when looking at minor versions, the numbers remain the same:

  • v10.0 (93.33%)
  • Unknown (6.667%)

Frequently Asked Questions

Is CMS still a thing?

Yes, CMS is still a thing, but its focus has shifted from mobile and other platforms to web content. Find out why and how this shift affects your content management needs.

What does CMS portal stand for?

A CMS portal is a centralized platform for managing digital content, often used for websites and online applications. It's a single dashboard where multiple users can create, edit, and publish content.

What is CMS Web Viewer?

A CMS (Content Management System) is software that simplifies website management, making it accessible to users of all technical levels. It provides a user-friendly interface to create and manage website content without needing to work directly with code.

Rosemary Boyer

Writer

Rosemary Boyer is a skilled writer with a passion for crafting engaging and informative content. With a focus on technical and educational topics, she has established herself as a reliable voice in the industry. Her writing has been featured in a variety of publications, covering subjects such as CSS Precedence, where she breaks down complex concepts into clear and concise language.

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