Roadiz

Roadiz CMS is a modern, self‑hosted content management system that leverages Symfony Flex, Doctrine ORM, API Platform, and Twig to deliver a high‑performance, secure platform. At its core lies a polymorphic “node” system that allows developers to define arbitrary content schemas at runtime, enabling the creation of highly customized data structures without changing the underlying database schema. This design removes many of the rigid constraints that traditional CMSs impose, making Roadiz an attractive choice for projects that require flexible content models and complex relational data.

Architecture & Technical Stack

Roadiz is built entirely on PHP 8+ and follows the Symfony best practices. The application uses Symfony Flex for dependency management, allowing developers to add or remove bundles with minimal friction. Data persistence is handled by Doctrine ORM, which maps the polymorphic node model to a relational database (MySQL, PostgreSQL, or MariaDB). API Platform exposes CRUD operations over REST and GraphQL out of the box, enabling rapid integration with front‑end frameworks or headless clients. Rendering is performed by Twig, ensuring fast template compilation and a clear separation between logic and presentation.

Core Capabilities & APIs

• Polymorphic node system: Nodes can have arbitrary fields defined through the admin UI, stored in a JSON or EAV‑style table, and queried via Doctrine’s query builder.
• Multi‑theme architecture: Themes are decoupled from the back‑office, allowing independent theme development and easy switching without affecting content.
• Built‑in API: REST and GraphQL endpoints are automatically generated for nodes, users, media, and custom types, with fine‑grained permission controls.
• Webhooks & event subscribers: Developers can hook into lifecycle events (e.g., node creation, update) to trigger external services or custom logic.
• Plugin system: Additional bundles can be integrated via Composer, and developers can expose their own services through the Symfony service container.

Deployment & Infrastructure

Roadiz is designed for self‑hosting and can run on any environment that supports PHP 8+. The official documentation provides Docker Compose files for quick local development, while the core application can be deployed on traditional LAMP/LEMP stacks or cloud providers like AWS, GCP, and Azure. Horizontal scaling is straightforward: the stateless API layer can be replicated behind a load balancer, while the database and media storage (e.g., S3-compatible) can be scaled independently. The application also supports opcache and Redis for caching, significantly improving response times in production.

Integration & Extensibility

Extending Roadiz is as simple as adding a new Symfony bundle or creating a custom service. The polymorphic node model allows developers to introduce new content types without touching the core codebase, and API Platform’s custom operation hooks enable complex business logic. Webhooks can be configured to integrate with CI/CD pipelines, external CMSs, or microservices. The theming system exposes a rich set of Twig globals and blocks, allowing front‑end developers to build responsive layouts that consume the API directly.

Developer Experience

Roadiz’s documentation is hosted on ReadTheDocs, providing comprehensive guides from installation to advanced customization. The community forum and issue tracker are active, offering timely support for integration questions. Configuration is primarily YAML‑based, following Symfony conventions, which reduces the learning curve for developers already familiar with the ecosystem. The MIT license removes licensing barriers, making it suitable for both open‑source and commercial projects.

Use Cases

• Headless CMS: Expose content via API Platform and consume it in a JavaScript SPA (React, Vue, Svelte).
• Custom enterprise portals: Define complex relational data models for product catalogs, event management, or internal knowledge bases.
• Rapid prototyping: Use the admin UI to iterate on content schemas without writing migrations, then lock in a stable schema for production.
• Multi‑site/multi‑theme deployments: Serve different themes from the same node repository, ideal for agencies managing multiple client sites.

Advantages Over Alternatives

Roadiz offers a unique blend of schema flexibility and Symfony‑powered performance. Unlike rigid block‑based CMSs, its polymorphic node system eliminates the need for database migrations on every content type change. The integration of API Platform out of the box removes the overhead of building custom APIs, while Twig ensures fast rendering. The MIT license and extensive community support lower the barrier to entry, making Roadiz a compelling choice for developers who need both agility and robustness in a self‑hosted CMS.