typo3: Open Source Content Management Systems (CMS)

What is typo3?

TYPO3 is an open source, PHP-based enterprise content management framework, released under the GNU General Public License, and built for agencies, integrators and in-house teams that need to run large, extensible websites on their own infrastructure.

What it is

TYPO3 is a free and open source Content Management Framework written in PHP. Its code is copyrighted from 1999 to 2026 by Kasper Skårhøj and is now developed by a community of contributors together with the TYPO3 Core Development Team. The distinction the README draws is deliberate: a Content Management Framework is more than a content management system because the streamlined core is separated from optional plugins, called extensions. That split is what allows the same core to be shaped into very different installations without forking it.

The concrete problem it solves is extensibility without a rewrite. TYPO3 exposes an open API that can extend frontend (website) and backend (administration) functionality, so extra behaviour arrives as an extension downloaded from the extension repository or written in-house, rather than as patches to core code. It lives in the PHP ecosystem and replaces hand-rolled or single-purpose PHP publishing stacks with a framework that carries its own extension model, its own documentation set and its own review and release infrastructure. The GitHub repository is a synchronized mirror of https://review.typo3.org/q/project:Packages/TYPO3.CMS, which is where core development review actually happens.

Key capabilities

Content Management Framework architecture: a streamlined core with optional extensions, rather than one monolithic product.
Open API for extending both frontend and backend, so site and administration behaviour are customizable.
Extension ecosystem distributed through https://extensions.typo3.org/, plus support for writing your own.
Runs on multiple web servers, including Apache, nginx and IIS, on top of Linux, Microsoft Windows, FreeBSD and macOS.
Backend administration accessed through a supported browser over a PHP web server and a database.
Releases, release notes and change logs published on https://get.typo3.org/.
Documentation covering basic tutorials, TypoScript, administration, development and core structure at https://docs.typo3.org/.

Who uses it and how

Agencies and enterprise web teams running self-hosted installations on their own web server, PHP runtime and database management system such as MySQL.
Integrators who assemble a site from core plus extensions from extensions.typo3.org instead of building publishing features from scratch.
Developers who write custom extensions against the open API to add frontend or backend functionality.
Contributors who submit core changes through https://review.typo3.org/ and read the core contribution walkthrough at https://docs.typo3.org/core-contribution.
Hoster and operations teams on Linux, Windows, FreeBSD or macOS, since the framework is not tied to one operating system.

Getting started

Set up a basic installation on a web server by following the Installation Guide at https://docs.typo3.org/installation, and check the server system requirements in INSTALL.md in the repository root. Download releases and read release notes at https://get.typo3.org/.

How it compares

No comparable products are named in the facts available for this registry, so TYPO3 stands alone here rather than being positioned against named alternatives. Judgements about it should rest on the framework-versus-system distinction and the GPL-2.0 licence in its own documentation, not on comparisons this page cannot support.

When to use it — and when not to

A self-hoster must operate a PHP web server and a database management system such as MySQL, which is a real infrastructure commitment and not a hosted service. Teams that want a managed, zero-operations CMS, or developers who do not work in PHP, should look elsewhere. The GitHub repository is explicitly a synchronized mirror of review.typo3.org, so anyone expecting to file pull requests or track issues here should instead use the TYPO3 Slack channel #typo3-cms-coredev and StackOverflow questions tagged typo3.

project readme (upstream, from github) — read inline

TYPO3 CMS

This document provides a basic introduction to TYPO3.

Getting Started

TYPO3 requires a web server with PHP and a database. The backend is accessed via a supported browser.

Please see the Installation Guide in order to set up a basic TYPO3 installation on your web server.

What is TYPO3?

TYPO3 is a free and open source Content Management Framework. It is released under the GNU General Public License. It can run on several web servers, such as Apache, nginx or IIS, on top of many operating systems, among them Linux, Microsoft Windows, FreeBSD or macOS.

TYPO3 was initially authored by Kasper Skårhøj and is now further developed by a community of contributors and the TYPO3 Core Development Team.

To get more info about the GPL license, visit https://opensource.org/licenses/gpl-license

What is a Content Management Framework?

A Content Management Framework is more than just a content management system, due to the separation of the streamlined core and optional plugins (extensions). TYPO3 has an open API that allows you to extend the frontend (website) and/or backend (administration) functionality.

The concept of extensions makes TYPO3 capable of being developed and used in almost any way you can imagine, either by using any of the many extensions which are available for download, or by writing your own.

TYPO3 System requirements

TYPO3 is based upon PHP and uses a database management system like MySQL.

For more specific information regarding requirements see the file INSTALL.md in this folder.

TYPO3 resources

Here is an overview of the most important TYPO3 resources to help you get started:

Get more information

https://typo3.org/ is the main project website. It provides up-to-date official news, information about events and the TYPO3 community.
https://docs.typo3.org/: TYPO3 is one of the most thoroughly documented OpenSource products around, with manuals covering basic tutorials, TypoScript, administration, development, core structure, etc. You should make the time to locate the various documents, and read those that apply to the work you want to do.
https://get.typo3.org/ is the platform where you can download TYPO3 and find all release notes and change logs of TYPO3 releases.
https://extensions.typo3.org/ is the platform where you can search for and download TYPO3 extensions.

Chat with us

The TYPO3 community is using a tool called Slack to openly communicate with each other and with the public. Several TYPO3 teams use Slack as a way to communicate internally and most channels are a welcome place for you to join and get yourself involved.

Register: https://typo3.community/meet/slack/
Slack: https://typo3.slack.com/

Exchange information, ask questions, get help

Slack is nice for short discussions, but when asking questions, most answers are lost in the noise after a few minutes.

StackOverflow

To let everyone profit from an answer, we recommend to ask questions on StackOverflow. If you like, you can then post a link into the corresponding Slack channel to raise attention. And please, do not forget to tag your questions correctly with typo3 (and possibly other tags like typo3-9.5.x, Fluid or Extbase).

StackOverflow questions tagged "TYPO3"

Official meet the TYPO3 Community overview:

Visit https://typo3.org/community/meet/

Contributing

If you want to contribute to the TYPO3 source code, take a look at our Contributors Walkthrough and Review System:

Please use the TYPO3 Slack chat, if you need help in setting up your contribution environment. The community is very helpful and get you up and running! (Please post your questions in Slack Channel #typo3-cms-coredev regarding contribution support)

The repository at GitHub is a synchronized mirror of the primary TYPO3 core git repository:

https://git.typo3.org/typo3/typo3

If you want to file a bug report, take a look at:

https://forge.typo3.org

Security

If you learn about a potential security issue in the TYPO3 core or in an extension, please always contact the TYPO3 Security Team via [email protected]. Please always include the version number where you've discovered the issue. If we can confirm a problem in a third-party extension, we will inform the author immediately.

If you discover a security problem in your own extension, please inform the TYPO3 Security Team as well. They can help you to fix it, and they may want to issue an advisory once it is fixed.

For more details see TYPO3 Security Team.

Final notes

TYPO3 is said to be one of the most sophisticated PHP / Internet related applications available, and the more you play with it, the more you will agree.

Due to the advanced level of the code and functionality, a degree of study, time and perseverance is required to fully understand it, and get the best from it. You should keep trying, as we say it's definitely worth it. TYPO3 is the Enterprise Content Management System "for all".

The GPL license allows for developments that are based upon TYPO3 to also be freely available under the GPL. Please remember this, because TYPO3 is about "Inspiring People To Share". If you are making money with TYPO3 you can donate or become a member of the TYPO3 Association.

By becoming a supporting member, individuals and organisations mainly fund core development of TYPO3. The decision about what the funds are used for, is made by all members of the Association and the TYPO3 Association Board. The decisions will be made transparent to the community and especially the supporting members. Your funds will also serve for other purposes as laid out in the bylaws.

Copyleft

This document is a part of the TYPO3 project.

Frequently asked questions

Is typo3 free to use?

typo3 is open source under the GPL-2.0 licence. There is no licence fee and no seat count — you can self-host it or, where the project offers one, pay a vendor for a managed version instead.

What does typo3 do?

The TYPO3 Core - Enterprise Content Management System. Synchronized mirror of https://review.typo3.org/q/project:Packages/TYPO3.CMS

What is typo3 written in?

typo3 is primarily written in PHP. Its source is publicly available at https://github.com/TYPO3/typo3, and it has 1,208 GitHub stars.