Why MODX: what MODX 3 offers

Teams choose MODX for websites with a custom design and a complex structure: it imposes no theme, gives each template its own fields and keeps language versions in one installation. The current branch is MODX Revolution 3.

What has changed since the first version of this article?

The original article covered MODX Evolution, with its bundled Scriptaculous, Prototype and Mootools libraries and its split between web users and managers. Today the current branch is MODX Revolution 3. Version 3.0.0 came out on 30 March 2022 and kept compatibility with 2.x extras wherever possible. The admin screenshots from the first publication are out of date; the MODX 3 interface looks different.

Why we choose MODX

• Design freedom. A template is built from your HTML. The system imposes no theme or markup, so any design carries over without compromise.
• Resource tree. Pages, sections and articles sit in one tree, and an editor finds the right page in a couple of clicks.
• Template variables (TVs). Each template can have its own fields: prices, galleries, specifications, case study blocks.
• Contexts. Language versions or several sites run in one installation. That is how the Russian, Ukrainian and English versions of mmix.ua are set up.
• Access control. User groups and access policies limit who can edit which sections.
• Extras. Forms, SEO tools, multilingual support and caching install through the package manager from the MODX Extras catalogue.

MODX or WordPress: which one?

Both are free and written in PHP. The difference is the approach.

• WordPress suits a quick start on a ready-made theme, a blog, or a WooCommerce store run by people with no technical background. The ecosystem is huge and there is a plugin for almost anything. The flip side is dozens of plugins to update and test for compatibility.
• MODX suits a custom design, an unusual structure (a service catalogue with different field sets, a portfolio, several languages) and clean page code. There are fewer plugins, and the developer writes more of the logic.

For an online store with delivery, payment and fiscal integrations we usually recommend WooCommerce or Shopify. For a corporate site, a services site or a multilingual project with an unusual structure, MODX or Laravel. We decide after looking at the task.

How does MODX help with SEO?

• Clean URLs with a custom alias for every page.
• Separate fields for the title tag (longtitle), meta description and H1 (pagetitle) on every page.
• XML sitemaps and breadcrumbs through pdoTools, and schema.org markup directly in the template.
• hreflang and linked language versions through Babel and contexts.
• Page and chunk caching: set up properly, the site serves HTML fast, which helps Core Web Vitals.

What to consider before choosing MODX

MODX needs a developer who knows the system, because there are fewer ready-made themes than for WordPress. Keep the core and extras updated and follow the PHP and database requirements in the MODX 3 documentation. For large catalogues, test speed on the real product volume early. Rename the manager path and turn on two-factor authentication for administrators.

If a site still runs on MODX Evolution or an early Revolution release, moving to 3.x usually goes together with a website redesign, since the templates get rewritten anyway. After launch, updates and backups are covered by our website support.

How long does a MODX website take?

We build a small business site or a corporate website within 10 working days once the brief is agreed and we have the materials, and a landing page within 3 working days. Projects with integrations (CRM, payments, catalogue imports) are quoted after the specification. More on the process on our website development page.

Sources

• MODX Blog: MODX Revolution 3.0.0 (2022)
• MODX 3 documentation
• MODX Extras

Frequently asked questions

Is MODX free?

Yes, MODX Revolution is free and open source. Some third-party extras are paid, and you still pay for hosting and development time.

Which is better for a company website, MODX or WordPress?

MODX is more convenient for a custom design, an unusual structure and several languages. WordPress suits a quick start on a ready theme, a blog or a WooCommerce store. The choice depends on the task and on who will run the site.

Is MODX a good fit for an online store?

For a small catalogue, yes, through extras such as miniShop. For a large range with delivery, payment and fiscal integrations we usually choose WooCommerce or Shopify.

Can a site be upgraded from MODX Evolution to MODX 3?

There is no direct upgrade path: templates and snippets are ported and rewritten, while content can be migrated with a script. It makes sense to combine the move with a redesign.

Is a MODX site hard to edit?

It is easy when the developer has set up fields for your content blocks. An editor opens the page in the tree and changes text, images or prices in clearly labelled fields.