This is a personal initiative (not backed by the Core Team) that aims to make CiviCRM work without a CMS. This was possible some time ago, but not very popular and was removed somewhere in the 3.x series.
CiviCRM Standalone aims to make CiviCRM work without a CMS. This was possible some time ago, but not very popular and was removed somewhere in the 3.x series:
As CiviCRM has evolved, and so has content management systems, and how organisations manage their CRM, it seems like a good time to bring CiviCRM Standalone back.
- CiviCRM Extensions barely existed, and most customizations where in Drupal modules.
- Theming was mostly done using the CMS theme. Today we have a few options (Shoreditch, Finsbury Park, Haystack Theme, Ahh), and some Bootstrap support in CiviCRM Core.
- User management options in Standalone were limited, and SSO was recommended.
- Most developers came from the Drupal world, and were more comfortable with Drupal tooling.
* A lot of organizations do not expose their CRM, or they might only expose specific forms, on a sub-domain.
* Managing a website and a CRM coupled together can be challenging.
* CMSes have become more and more complex, with increasing conflicts between CiviCRM and the CRM. Having to install a CMS before installing a CRM is extra friction. Many people view Drupal9 as too complicated, and WordPress as risky.
As CiviCRM has evolved, so have content management systems, and the organizations using CiviCRM. It seems like a good time to bring CiviCRM Standalone back:
- CiviCRM tooling has improved a lot, from SearchKit, to Form Builder, 'cv', the extension and theming eco-system. Having a CMS is not a requirement anymore.
- Managing a website and a CRM coupled together can be challenging
- Different teams might be working on the web frontend, and another team on the CRM
- Many organizations do not expose their CRM, or they might only expose specific forms, on a sub-domain.
- CMSes have become more and more complex, with increasing conflicts between CiviCRM and the CRM.
- For completely new users to CiviCRM, who may not come from Drupal or WordPress, having to install a CMS before installing a CRM is extra friction. Many people view Drupal9 as too complicated, and WordPress as risky. Sure, WordPress or Joomla are easy to install, but installing CiviCRM under a CMS is not as easy as we would like. It should be easy to "unzip" CiviCRM onto a server and get started, as well as easy upgrades.
- CiviCRM should have an "out of the box" experience that looks good and works well, including a modern interface/theme and translation support.
Don't worry! Having CMS integrations will always be what makes CiviCRM standout compared to other solutions. CiviCRM must be a good fit for small organizations with limited technical and financial means, and also be a good fit as we help those organizations grow.
