Contao is a content management system (Content Management SystemCMS) Flexible and easily expandable open source, used for the creation of accessible and responsive websites. It offers an intuitive user interface, easy to use even for beginners. This CMS solution is an alternative to more complete solutions such as Joomla! or typo3.
Contao: efficient functions for flexible and accessible websites
The CMS Contao is still in the shadow of the major content management systems, but it brings together a very active community behind it. More than 175,000 websites have already been created with this CMS solution. This open source software was created in 2006 under the name Typolight, before being renamed four years later to avoid confusion with Typo3. Contao is a content management system Web Classic, particularly suitable for creating accessible websites. Social networks and the creation of blogs are not the priority of the CMS, but extensions for blogs are available.
Technical characteristics of contact:
- Programming language: PHP
- Database: MySQL/Mariadb
- Output in xHTML or HTML 5
- Based on the Symfony web framework (the current version is based on Symfony 5)
- License: GNU LASSER GENERAL PUBLIC LISENSE
Overview of the main contact features:
- Advanced publishing function
- Search engine in the entire text
- Integrated file manager
- Form generator
- Native modules for the management of news and events
- Area reserved for members protected by password
- Newsletter module
- Multilingual/multisite capacity
- Accessibility
You will find here the Download link of the current version of Contao.
Advantages and disadvantages of the CMS Contao
It is always difficult to compare CMS, because it all depends on the use that everyone wishes to make of it. Contao offers a number of advantages that make it particularly attractive for professional websites wanting to be accessible to everyone. Nevertheless, certain aspects can make challenges according to the magnitude of the project and the experience.
The positive points of contact:
- Large number of features in the basic version
- Wide choice of Extension moduleslayouts and models
- Intuitive use and accessibility
- Regular updates and long -term support
- Solid community and complete documentation
- Hierarchical structure of pages allowing simple management of pages, meta-tags, redirects and good visibility via the tree structure
- Flexibility in the design of responsibility and multilingual websites
- SEO tools like the URL generation adapted to search engines and the automated creation of XML sitemaps, allowing the optimization of websites created
The negative points of contact:
- Integration of complex templates, requiring experience
- May lack clarity in major projects
- Social networks and blogs are less integrated than in other CMS solutions
Advice
If you wish to test beforehand if the CMS Contao suits you, the project website offers a online demo. You will have access to the backend of a contact installation and will be able to familiarize yourself with the content management system.
System configuration required
There are few conditions for installation of contact: a web server with PHP and MySQL support Suffice. For PHP, you must have at least version 7.4+, for MySQL of the 8.0+ version at least, or an equivalent Mariadb version.
In addition, the CMS requires certain PHP extensions. These are generally already activated in the default PHP installation, but can theoretically be deactivated by the accommodation provider. Contao, however, checks itself if all the necessary extensions are active. An updated list of PHP extensions required is available in the Official Documentation of Contao.
Who is it suitable for?
Contao is a versatile CMS particularly suitable for medium to large web projects. Large companies like Siemens use it, because it offers efficient, expandable and flexible architecture. Thanks to its ease of use, even beginners in the field of web development can quickly obtain convincing results. Many useful functions are already included in the basic installation: its accessibility, its intuitive interface and its integrated email options make contact a CMS particularly suitable for companies.
For projects that require even more performance and securitythe Jamstack approach is essential. It combines static pages with dynamic content via APIs and JavaScript and thus ensures strong performance. With Deploy Now of Ionos, developers can effectively deploy Jamstack projects from a repository such as Github, which allows rapid deployment and high performance on the website: ideal for modern web applications.
Alternatives to Contao
Although Contao is distinguished by many advantages such as accessibility and flexible adaptation possibilities, other content management systems must be taken into account according to the requirements of your web project. Each CMS has its strengths and offers specific features particularly suitable for certain areas of use.
WordPress: the most popular CMS for simple and extensible websites
WordPress is the most used CMS in the world and perfectly suits blogs, small corporate sites and simple online stores. Thanks to a simple installation and a friendly interface, you can quickly create professional websites with WordPress, without prior experience. Thanks to a large number of plugins and themesWordPress can be easily extended and personalized. Even if it is especially ideal for small projects, it can be used for larger websites with the right extensions. Ionos offers WordPress accommodation packs for quick start. AI friendly tools allow you to create your website effectively and simple.
Joomla: Flexible CMS for multilingual and complex websites
Joomla is a versatile open source solution, particularly suitable for websites with more complex structures, such as multilingual portals or community platforms. It offers more personalization options than WordPress and is ideal for projects requiring specific functionalities and great flexibility. However, the creation of a website on Joomla requires a longer learning period and more technical knowledge. Ionos offers different Joomla accommodation plans that allow you to create, accommodate and manage up to 50 websites with Joomla.
Web accommodation
Flexible, efficient and safe web accommodation
- SSL certificate and DDOS protection
- Data backup and restoration
- Assistance 24/7 and personal advisor
Typo3: the powerful CMS for major corporate projects
Typo3 is a robust and scalable CMS that is above all suitable Large companies and complex web projects. It offers a wide range of functions and extensions that allow you to create sophisticated websites. Typo3 requires advanced skills, and its learning curve is more demanding than that of WordPress or Joomla.
Advice
To find out how Contao is doing in direct comparison with other content management systems and what solution is most suitable for your web project, see our comparison of the best CMS.
Contao: a flexible CMS for projects of different sizes
Contao is an ideal alternative for beginners wishing to avoid WordPress while enjoying an accessible and intuitive CMS. Thanks to its support for multilingualism, it is perfectly suitable for business websites. Its active community and regular updates guarantee a continuous development of the system. Thanks to its accessibility, its flexibility and its intuitive interface, Contao stands out as a serious alternative to WordPress, Joomla and Typo3, according to the needs of the project.
