What is BigTree CMS?

BigTree CMS is a self-hosted content management system created by Fastspot that runs on PHP 8.1+ and MySQL 5+. It provides an intuitive admin interface for content editors and gives developers full control over templates using standard PHP and HTML — no proprietary markup languages. Key capabilities include a flexible field type system (WYSIWYG, media galleries, matrix/callout fields), multi-site management from a single install, cloud storage support for Amazon S3 and Google Cloud Storage, content governance with expiration alerts, integrated analytics, and an experimental GraphQL API. The CMS supports passkeys and two-factor authentication for admin login. It can be installed by downloading a ZIP package or cloning from GitHub, then running the web-based installer. The system requires Apache with mod_rewrite (or nginx/IIS), PHP extensions mysqli, gd, curl, and json, and a MySQL database. BigTree is licensed under the GNU LGPL.

Should you self-host BigTree CMS?

BigTree CMS scores 49/100 on selfhost.directory (how scoring works) and ranks #33 of 42 in Content Management. It has 223 GitHub stars.

There was no stable release in the past 12 months, so check the repository's recent activity before you rely on it.

Setup is moderate: expect some configuration beyond a single command. It is Other-licensed and written mostly in PHP.

Its closest alternative on selfhost.directory is Ghost (83/100, 55 631 stars). It scores higher overall, so compare the two before you pick. See BigTree CMS vs Ghost side by side.