WebBlocks CMS: open source, MIT-licensed and free, with a free plugin catalog

Choosing a CMS means evaluating both the software and the terms on which you can use it. Can you inspect the source? Can you adapt it for a client project? Which extensions require another software purchase? Those questions deserve specific answers.

WebBlocks CMS is an open-source Laravel CMS distributed under the MIT license. The CMS package is free to download and use. The eight website plugins covered below are also free, giving you practical tools for visitor participation, appointment booking, customer enquiries and more without purchasing the CMS or these plugins.

The public CMS repository contains the package source and its MIT license. It is distributed through Composer and Packagist, so developers can install it in a Laravel application and inspect the code they run.

The CMS brings block-based pages, reusable shared content, media, multiple sites and languages, and editorial workflow into that application. The package is available without a CMS license purchase or a CMS subscription. Self-hosting lets you choose your infrastructure and retain responsibility for deployment, backups and maintenance.

For a concrete introduction to the editor and publishing workflow, see what you can build with WebBlocks CMS.

The MIT license text permits use, modification and redistribution, including commercial use. This makes the CMS suitable for evaluating a prototype, adapting an internal application, or delivering a client website without buying a CMS software license.

The copyright and permission notices must remain in copies or substantial portions of the software. The software is supplied without warranty. Dependencies and integrated services retain their own licenses and terms; the CMS license does not replace them.

Optional plugins extend your site beyond page publishing. The following eight plugins are available free of charge in the WebBlocks plugin catalog.

Polls lets you publish single-choice or multiple-choice polls directly on your own website, in multiple languages, and decide when results are shown. Ask readers what they think, let your community vote on its next event or find out which product visitors want next. You can add this participation without buying a polling plugin or subscribing to a separate polling service.

Appointments lets visitors choose a service, date and available time on your site while you manage services, staff or rooms and opening hours in the CMS. A consultant can accept meeting bookings, a tutor can arrange lessons and a studio can reserve sessions. With email delivery configured, confirmations, calendar attachments and scheduled reminders are supported. This booking plugin is free and does not require a separate hosted scheduling subscription.

Forms helps you create quotation requests, event registrations and application forms with the fields you need, including multiple steps and file attachments. You can review and export submissions from the CMS.

Commerce adds a product catalog, shopping cart and checkout through PayPal or SumUp, so a small shop or creator can sell products and manage orders and stock from the CMS.

Campaigns lets you send personalized emails to your customer lists through your configured email delivery, such as announcing a new service or sharing an event with people who have agreed to receive your updates.

Live Chat adds a visitor chat widget and an operator inbox, so your team can answer questions while people browse your site. It is self-hosted and does not require a separate hosted chat subscription.

Support connects the CMS to a compatible support provider, letting your team manage customer support tickets from the administration panel. The integration plugin is free; the connected provider supplies the ticket service under its own terms.

Redirect Manager lets you manage permanent and temporary redirects when page addresses change, helping visitors reach the right page through an old link.

A small company site could use the CMS for multilingual pages, Polls to learn what visitors want, Forms for enquiries and Appointments for bookings. You can combine these free tools around your business and add others as your needs grow.

Hosting, a domain, implementation work, security updates and backups remain part of running the site. Commerce can use external payment providers, Campaigns needs configured email delivery, and Support connects to a compatible provider. Those services have their own terms and may involve fees.

WebBlocks CMS offers a public, MIT-licensed CMS package that you can download, inspect and use without a CMS software fee. Its free website plugins add useful everyday capabilities, from polls and bookings to forms, sales and customer communication.

Start with the installation guide, review the CMS source and license, and inspect the plugin catalog for the capabilities your project actually needs. Free pricing for the plugins described here was checked on 8 October 2026; external services and future extensions have their own terms.