# Backdrop CMS vs CMS Made Simple

> Two self-hosted [Content Management projects](https://selfhost.directory/content-management), compared on the numbers selfhost.directory tracks live: score, popularity, release cadence and setup effort.

| | Backdrop CMS | CMS Made Simple |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 61/100 | 64/100 ✓ |
| Rank in category | #18 of 42 in Content Management | #12 of 42 in Content Management |
| GitHub stars | 1 050 ✓ | — |
| Stars, last 30 days | +4 | — |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 16 ✓ | 0 |
| Latest release | 1.35.2 · 14 Oct 2026 | — |
| Setup | Moderate ✓ | Moderate |
| Official Docker image | No | No |
| License | GPL-2.0 | GPL-2.0 |
| Main language | PHP | — |

## Which one should you pick?

CMS Made Simple scores 64/100 against 61/100 for Backdrop CMS, so it is the safer default.

Backdrop CMS ships more often: 16 stable releases in the past year, against 0 for CMS Made Simple.

Backdrop CMS is growing faster right now (+4 stars in 30 days).

## Details

- [Backdrop CMS](https://selfhost.directory/project/backdrop-cms) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/backdrop-cms.md)
- [CMS Made Simple](https://selfhost.directory/project/cms-made-simple) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/cms-made-simple.md)

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Source: https://selfhost.directory/compare/backdrop-cms-vs-cms-made-simple