vaahcms

A content management system built on Laravel (PHP) with a modular architecture. If you build Laravel apps and need a CMS foundation with user management, roles/permissions, and a module system already wired up, VaahCMS gives you that starting point. It's designed more as a rapid development platform than a traditional CMS. You build modules that plug into the framework. The admin panel includes user management, role-based access, media management, and a taxonomy system. Modules and themes are installable through a built-in marketplace. Completely free under MIT. No paid tier.

For a Laravel-based CMS, Statamic is more polished (free for solo, $259/yr for pro). For a full headless CMS that works with any stack, Strapi, Directus, or Payload CMS are all established with large communities. If you specifically need PHP, WordPress still dominates for a reason: the ecosystem is unmatched. Ghost is the best option for content-focused publishing.

The catch: this is a very small project with near-zero community activity. The documentation exists but is thin. If you hit a wall, you're reading Laravel source code and figuring it out yourself. The admin UI feels dated compared to modern CMS options. VaahCMS fills a niche (Laravel-native modular CMS) but the ecosystem risk is too high for anything you need to maintain long-term.