EE - The Peak of CMS Functionality.
We use ExpressionEngine to create bespoke, powerful, and secure websites for our clientele. It allows us to create highly extensible sites …
Starting at $299 One Time Fee
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What is ExpressionEngine?
ExpressionEngine is a content management system from EllisLab in 2002, a successor to pMachine Pro, a blogging system, which is written in object-oriented PHP and uses MySQL for data storage. ExpressionEngine is their flagship Content Delivery Platform.
Recent Reviews
Popular Features
- Role-based user permissions (33)10.0100%
- Code quality / cleanliness (32)10.0100%
- Admin section (32)10.0100%
- Availability / breadth of extensions (32)8.080%
Reviewer Pros & Cons
Pricing
License
$299.00
Cloud
One Time Fee
Entry-level set up fee?
- No setup fee
Offerings
- Free Trial
- Free/Freemium Version
- Premium Consulting/Integration Services
Product Demos
Entry Analytics EEDPX Demo
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EE Harbor's Transcribe Add-on Demo
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ExpressionEngine Demo of a Staff Section
YouTube
ExpressionEngine demo door Keesâ„¢ Internetbureau
YouTube
DevDemon's Channel Forms add-on for ExpressionEngine
YouTube
Solspace's Calendar Add-on for ExpressionEngine
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Features
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Product Details
- About
- Tech Details
- FAQs
What is ExpressionEngine?
ExpressionEngine is an open source content
management system developed by EllisLab in 2002 as a successor to pMachine
Pro, a blogging system, which is written in object-oriented PHP and uses MySQL
for data storage. EllisLab closed in 2018, but ExpressionEngine is still available, as an open source CMS.
With CodeIgniter, an agile, open-source framework, web professionals can use ExpressionEngine to build websites and applications. The software is meant to be useful for companies of any size and private individuals as well, and to that end it is highly customizable, and implementation may vary. Like many content management systems, various add-ons will determine what the system does, though the core features are somewhat broader than similarly classed free offerings. The Multiple Site Manager allows a user to create and manage multiple sites from a single ExpressionEngine installation. Nexcess (a partner) provides a hosting environment for an ExpressionEngine-powered website.
With CodeIgniter, an agile, open-source framework, web professionals can use ExpressionEngine to build websites and applications. The software is meant to be useful for companies of any size and private individuals as well, and to that end it is highly customizable, and implementation may vary. Like many content management systems, various add-ons will determine what the system does, though the core features are somewhat broader than similarly classed free offerings. The Multiple Site Manager allows a user to create and manage multiple sites from a single ExpressionEngine installation. Nexcess (a partner) provides a hosting environment for an ExpressionEngine-powered website.
ExpressionEngine Video
10-Minute ExpressionEngine Primer
ExpressionEngine Technical Details
| Deployment Types | Software as a Service (SaaS), Cloud, or Web-Based |
|---|---|
| Operating Systems | Unspecified |
| Mobile Application | No |
Frequently Asked Questions
ExpressionEngine is a content management system from EllisLab in 2002, a successor to pMachine Pro, a blogging system, which is written in object-oriented PHP and uses MySQL for data storage. ExpressionEngine is their flagship Content Delivery Platform.
Reviewers rate Role-based user permissions and WYSIWYG editor and Code quality / cleanliness highest, with a score of 10.
The most common users of ExpressionEngine are from Small Businesses (1-50 employees).
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Reviews and Ratings
(86)
Community Insights
TrustRadius Insights are summaries of user sentiment data from TrustRadius reviews and, when necessary, 3rd-party data sources. Have feedback on this content? Let us know!
- Pros
- Cons
- Recommendations
Reliable Performance: Many users have praised the product for its reliable performance. Several reviewers mentioned that the product consistently meets their expectations and performs well in various scenarios. Ease of Use: The ease of use is a common pro mentioned by several customers. Users appreciate how intuitive and user-friendly the product is, making it easy to navigate and operate without any hassle or confusion. Great Customer Support: Some users have expressed their satisfaction with the great customer support provided by the company. They have found the support team to be responsive, helpful, and efficient in resolving any issues or inquiries they had.
Cons:
- Quality Issues: Some users have experienced quality issues with the product, including defects and malfunctions. Several reviewers have mentioned receiving damaged items or products that broke shortly after purchase.
- Lack of Customer Support: Many customers have expressed dissatisfaction with the lack of responsive customer support. Several users have reported difficulties in contacting the company for assistance or resolving issues related to their purchase.
- Limited Features/Functionality: Some users feel that the product lacks certain features or functionalities they expected. Reviewers have mentioned specific features missing from the product, such as advanced customization options or compatibility with other devices, which have impacted their overall experience.
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ExpressionEngine is recommended by many users as a great and promising update in the CMS market. It is praised for being free, open-source, and supported by a helpful developer community. Users suggest exploring extensions in the market to enhance its capabilities.
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Improvement is needed in areas such as help and support, as well as managing SEO. Those concerned about security should consider alternative solutions. Reading the developer documentation thoroughly is advised, along with using EE Harbor extensions.
3.ExpressionEngine is suitable for creating different channels and effectively managing website content. It is favored by confident HTML and PHP developers seeking customization options. The platform is considered user-friendly and secure, with the ability to handle large data or databases through proper caching.
While some express concerns about the direction and progress of ExpressionEngine, many still regard it as a leading commercial offering. It is advised to carefully consider project requirements and customization needs when choosing between ExpressionEngine and other CMS platforms like WordPress or Drupal. The value of the EE support plan and the helpfulness of the community are also mentioned as factors to consider for web agencies.
Attribute Ratings
Reviews
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February 19, 2016
Great For Novices
We used ExpressionEngine to manage the CMS of one of our smaller sites. It was to be used by a team of writers to collaborate on various topics. They needed to be able to upload images and edit in an efficient manner. We needed a quick way to get a site up that had a built in blog tool and user management.
- The blog tool was decent.
- Managing users was easy.
- It was difficult to alter functionality in the admin section. For example, we needed multiple-file uploading and in order to do this the templates had to be directly altered. This direct manipulation of templates makes it hard to upgrade the version without losing custom changes. Same goes for implementing custom file storage.
65%
6.5
30%
3.0
N/A
N/A
100%
10.0
N/A
N/A
- It allowed us to launch a new site very quickly.
- It was tedious to make changes to functionality that wasn't module/plugin based.
I wasn't in charge of selecting this product. On our other site we have a very robust custom built CMS that's much easier to make changes to.
6
Content producers.
1
Must be competent in PHP and reading other people's code.
- Uploading/creating new articles.
- Managing existing content.
- Adding new users to create content.
- The ability to create your own plugins has been helpful.
- At this time, there aren't any.
No
- Product Features
- Product Usability
Something that we could get up and running fast and had good security for user access.
I wouldn't use this product for another site we wanted to create. Our team is used to being able to request new features and get things exactly how they want. This product was too cumbersome to customize.
No
I'm a software engineer so I'm used to being able to resolve issues on my own. There should be sufficient documentation that exists to help me troubleshoot any issues we encounter. Premium support is for people without any technical abilities or are too scared to touch a computer. It didn't apply for us.
No
I don't think I ever turned to EllisLab for support. We needed things to move quickly so usually it's faster for me to try to figure it out myself than submit a ticket and hope that they get around quickly. If it turned out they didn't then I would have wasted time waiting.
- Adding or removing users.
- Tag management became a huge issue. The more tags that were added the slower the dashboard ran b/c it was trying to load in EVERYTHING instead of a paginated approach.
- Modifying the system was next to impossible. It was so cumbersome to use our file management system.
September 30, 2015
ExpressionEngine is dream of any developer.
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
The software's administrative features include admin logs, site membership, searchable (and search-and-replace) content forums, data export, a blacklist/whitelist module, SQL and extension manager, which are all tools that come standard with this content management system. In fact, Expression Engine is equipped with the full complement of management elements we looked for in CMS software.
- We noticed extensive capabilities in the area of user management. The application allows for multiple administrators so that work can be spread out through multiple resources at a company rather than bottlenecking with the web developer.
- ExpressionEngine has gained a significant following through its high level of customization and ease of use. The interface is straightforward and offers easy access to both front-end and back-end editing. Because this CMS software is open source, you get the best of both worlds. You can add to your website’s functionality through the use of PHP, which means the functionality you desire from a website is easily within reach. For the non-technical user, you can simply work on your site from a simple front-end interface with a simple navigation.
- For functionality and flexibility, ExpressionEngine content management system software is a versatile option for operations large and small. It has obviously extended its reach to many professional websites, which is evidenced on the front page of their product site.
- ExpressionEngine has a thriving community base filled with veteran CMS users who can help you with questions through the community forum. For the programming-savvy individual, you have access to a developer portal complete with documentation, forums and tips for increasing your knowledge of the software.
- Very powerful CMS. Expressionengine can be thought of as a database, where you create your collections and tables and define all sorts of fields for them. Then you can gather the information in this collections any way you want and show it on front-end or at the backend.
- EE very easy to setup. For a site that is based on eCommerce/ Articles / News this CMS is excellent.
- Plugin, Module installation should be with ease. Upload as zip - install.
- Multisite function should be included with purchase and not be as separate module and restriction to 3 sites - it should be infinite.
71.25%
7.1
92%
9.2
50%
5.0
90%
9.0
N/A
N/A
- If you’re not completely sold on the software itself, then you can visit their website to see a comprehensive showcase of popular websites that were created using this content management system software.
- SEO friendly URLs are one of the best features of EE.
For functionality and flexibility, ExpressionEngine content management system software is a versatile option for operations large and small. It has obviously extended its reach to many professional websites, which is evidenced on the front page of their product site. It may seem a bit pricey, but through its ease of use and expandability, it is a force to be reckoned with. This CMS is certain to help bring your website from the far reaches of obscurity and, with the right tweaks, put your business in the limelight.
12
Designers, Copy writers, Developers, Management
2
Simple knowledge of HTML and CSS is sufficient.
- Reports
- Websites
- Data Collecting
- Creating Reports for management with CSV , PDF and XLS outputs
- Conferences
Yes
WordPress, Joomla been replaced with ExpressionEngine because of flexibility and endless power for developer.
- Product Features
- Product Usability
- Product Reputation
- Prior Experience with the Product
Freedom of use. Freedom in language selection.
We would stop wasting our time and money on research and train our developers in ExpressioEengine.
- Vendor implemented
- Implemented in-house
No
Change management was a small part of the implementation and was well-handled
Expressionengine handles all sorts of data and it was very easy to change organizational management. But if your organization can work with a single level workflow
management capability and manually manage their document versions then
Expressionengine can be a very powerful asset to your organization. Considering
the power it has for a low priced CMS.
- Window servers are a bit tricky to implement. Please don't try to run Expression Engine on Windows. Yes, it's possible to run it on Windows, and self torchering individuals might even enjoy it. Still, Expression Engine is developed on and for the LAMP stack. Just get Linux!
Exceptional support is provided for Expressionengine at all times. My client was having an issue installing Expressionengine on GoDaddy server and Ellislab reviewed server configuration, answered all possible questions and installed instance for us. Guided me and my client on where to find relevant information and insured that we will not encounter any other problems with installations in the future.
- Creating channels and assigning channel fields are as easy as it can be.
- eCommerce modules can be a pain in the afternoon.
No