Expressa
Content Management System for powering database driven websites using JSON schemas. Provides permission management and automatic REST APIs.
- CMS
- JavaScript
- MIT
- Actively maintained
GitHub stats
- GitHub stars
- 452
- Forks
- 24
- Open issues
- 21
- Commits, last 12 months
- 25
- Last commit
- Sep 22, 2026
- Latest release
- 2.1.3Sep 5, 2026
- Created
- May 4, 2016
Data from the GitHub API, refreshed daily.
About Expressa
Content Management System for powering database driven websites using JSON schemas. Provides permission management and automatic REST APIs. Expressa is open source under the MIT license and written mainly in JavaScript, so you can read the code, run it on your own hardware and keep full control of your data.
The project has 452 stars and 24 forks on GitHub, with 25 commits over the last year. It installs natively rather than through an official Docker image, so plan for a short manual setup.
Topics
- hacktoberfest
- nodejs
- middleware
- apis
Repository preview
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What is Expressa?
Expressa is a free, open-source app you can host on your own server, listed in our CMS category. Content Management System for powering database driven websites using JSON schemas. Provides permission management and automatic REST APIs. The source code lives at github.com/thomas4019/expressa, where it has 452 stars.
Is Expressa free and open source?
Yes. Expressa is open-source software released under the MIT license, so you can self-host it at no cost. You only pay for the server it runs on, and some projects also offer an optional paid cloud plan.
Can I run Expressa with Docker?
Expressa does not list an official Docker image. It installs natively (Nodejs), so follow the install steps in its README or look for a community-maintained container.
What are the best alternatives to Expressa?
Popular open-source alternatives to Expressa include Strapi, Payload CMS and WordPress.
Is Expressa actively maintained?
The most recent commit to Expressa was on Sep 22, 2026 with 25 commits in the past twelve months. The latest release is 2.1.3, published Sep 5, 2026. Check the open issues on GitHub to gauge how quickly maintainers respond.