Plone/Zope Vs. eZ Publish (Exponential): Technical Comparison

By Olivier28 August 2025⏱️ 17 min read

Important Note of Introduction

Here is Exponential (new name of eZ Publish): I announce, as an attentive member of the technical community, the change of name decided on August 11, 2025 which transforms the project formerly known as eZ Publish 6 into Exponential (also referenced Exponential 6 or exponential cms). I understand that this type of repositioning raises questions about the identity, compatibility and governance of the software, and I want to give you a clear and concise view of what this means for you.

I note that, at the direct request of Ibexa, the 7x team undertook the rewriting of brand mentions in the code, documentation and websites, replacing all occurrences of eZ Publish, eZPublish, ezpublish and variants by Exponential. I reassure you: the project is not associated with the original software or eZ Systems or Ibexa, and this does not prevent the further development of open source and regular versions.

I’m informing you that the upcoming Exponential 6.0.10 rebranded update will be released soon to permanently remove the trademark in texts and binaries, while the current stable Exponential 6.0.9 version supports PHP 8.4+ and offers a Headless CMS with REST API (for v2 write crud). I encourage you to run Exponential on a secure PHP version (ideally PHP 8.3 or higher); the project officially supports PHP 8.1 to 8.4.

I invite you to visit the new exponential.earth community domain (and subdomains like share.exponential.earth) to download the releases via GitHub or Composer, read the changelog and share your feedback.

Source : https://share.se7enx.com/blogs/7x/7x-announces-project-rename-from-ez-publish-6-to-exponential

Nota Bene: For more clarity, I will use in this article the historical term of eZ Publish.

I compare Plone/Zope and eZ Publish rigorously by first focusing on architecture and modularity, then on performance and security — where flaws or poor configuration can be dangerous for your site; I finally state the deployment constraints, administrative complexity and operational benefits so that you know precisely which tool better serves your scientific goal.

Points to remember :

• On August 11, 2025, eZ Publish changed its name to Exponential
• Architecture and data model: Plone/Zope relies on Python and ZODB with persistent objects and strong transactional logic, while eZ Publish (and eZ Platform) relies on PHP/Symfony and a layer of relational/ORM content, resulting in differences in pattern design and persistence.
• Extensibility and development ecosystem: Plone relies on the Zope Component Architecture, workflows and rich native integration, while eZ leverages the Symfony architecture (bundles, services) and REST/JSON APIs that promote front/back decoupling and integration into the modern PHP ecosystem.
• Performance, scalability and operation: both platforms can scale via cache (Varnish, memcached), but Plone-ZODB can require more memory resources and specific management of persistent objects, while eZ Platform takes advantage of Symfony deployment tools and practices (containers, CI/CD) and more traditional relational scalability.

Architecture and Technological Foundations of Plone/Zope

Modular Structure of Zope

I note that Zope revolves around the ZODB (Persistent Object Base) and the Zope Component Architecture (ZCA), offering ACID transactions, object persistence and adaptation via adaptors/utilities. Your add-ons are registered by ZCML or via Python registers, allowing the deployment of eggs with buildout and the hot-reload of components; this modularity facilitates the decoupling code/data and the evolution to Zope 4/5 compatible with Python 3.

Plone's Design Philosophy

I see that Plone favors security, content management ergonomics and reusability: robust workflows, granular permissions, and migration from Archetypes to Dexterity with behaviors to compose types without repetitive code. After more than twenty years of evolution, Plone targets complex information systems with integrated tools (versioning, multilingual, rules) reducing the cost of customization for your organization.

In concrete terms, I observe that Dexterity allows you to create a type in a few minutes via behaviors (e.g. versioning, subjects), that Diazo separates theme and content for customer deployments, and that the stack of caching (plone.app.caching + Varnish) effectively manages sites with tens of thousands of objects. Your main benefit is a reduced attack surface thanks to the built-in security model, but beware of unmaintained extensions that can compromise this guarantee.

Development Ecosystem : Tools and Resources

Frameworks and Libraries Available

I detail the technical stack: Zope provides the Zope Component Architecture (ZCA) and the ZODB as the base object, Plone adds Dexterity for content types, Diazo for theming and several hundred reusable extensions; Archetypes remains legacy. On the other hand, eZ Platform builds on the core of modern PHP — Symfony (components), Doctrine and Twig — exposes native REST APIs and facilitates integration via third-party bundles.

Community and Technical Support

I note that Plone governance goes through the Plone Foundation, with lists, Slack/Matrix and PloneConf (a few hundred participants) for coordination; you will find free community support and commercial services by specialized agencies. Ibexa (ex-eZ Systems) offers a business-oriented model, with SLA contracts and commercial product support, suitable for critical deployments.

I observe a structural difference: Plone favors an open community ecosystem and public contributions, promoting independent audits and compliance (WCAG), while Ibexa/eZ Platform orients the roadmap towards paid customer needs, offers LTS and managed services; your choice will influence the speed of fixes, visibility of priorities and the cost of support.

Content Management : Flexibility and Performance

Content Template of Plone

I notice that Plone relies on Dexterity (Plone 5+) for declarative content types, inherited from Archetypes, and on the ZODB object base for transactional persistence; indexing is based on ZCatalog and CMFEditions manages the versions. You can compose reusable behaviors, custom workflows, and persistent relationships, but memory and ZODB snapshots require strict tuning attention to prevent RAM leaks.

Extensibility Capabilities of eZ Publish

I note that the transition to eZ Platform/Ibexa has brought eZ Publish closer to the Symfony ecosystem: bundles, services and Repository architecture facilitate the integration of REST/GraphQL APIs, persistence in MySQL/PostgreSQL and search via Solr/ElasticSearch. You will find a more linear rise in horizontal support thanks to the HTTP cache (Varnish) and the use of static files, but the clustered configuration can increase operational complexity.

I would add that eZ Publish allows you to orchestrate asynchronous tasks via queues and workers (e.g. RabbitMQ), deploy distributed CDNs and caches to serve millions of daily queries, and expose a strictly typical content model that promotes multi-site governance; high scalability in production, potentially high maintenance cost if you do not standardize deployments.

Security and Compliance : A Comparative Analysis

Comparison table of security approaches

Security Measures in Plone/Zope

I observe that Plone/Zope applies a very fine object access control, native CSRF tokens and a secure configuration by default; these elements significantly reduce attack vectors. You can integrate LDAP/SAML and apply auditable workflows, making it easier to trace changes. The patches are published through official security announcements, and the community favors regular code audits to limit critical vulnerabilities.

EZ Publich Security Standards

I analyze eZ Publish as a platform that takes advantage of Symfony components to provide standard protections (CSRF, encoding, authentication) while remaining dependent on PHP practices; this implies a wider attack surface if you do not master the bundles and extensions installed. Ibexa publishes advisories, and SAML/OAuth integration is available for organizational compliance.

As I go deeper, I observe that eZ Publish/eZ Platform facilitates GDPR compliance through export and data deletion tools, and supports modern authentication mechanisms (SAML, OAuth2). You’ll find options to force TLS, set bcrypt/argon2-based password policies via PHP 7+/8+, and centralize logs for auditing. However, effective security depends heavily on PHP-FPM/NGINX hosting and hardening; without these measures, even a properly configured application can present high risks.

User Interface : Ergonomics and Accessibility

User Experience on Plone

On Plone, I observe an interface that favors accessibility and consistency: Volto (front-end React) and the classic interface provide semantic HTML, ARIA roles and keyboard navigation, reducing the cost of audits. You have a base where forms, permissions and workflows are designed for institutional deployments, making it easier to comply with accessibility requirements and ergonomic consistency.

Design Interface of eZ Publish

I note that eZ Publish (eZ Platform / Ibexa) relies on flexibility via templates (Twig) and a strict content/presentation separation, allowing tailor-made interfaces; this improves customization but requires additional efforts to achieve accessibility standards and UX homogeneity.

In the projects I have analyzed, Ibexa’s modern administration interface relies on a REST API and a client-side JavaScript (SPA) application, offering performance and modularity; however, the legacy of earlier versions sometimes generates a significant technical cost to harmonize accessibility and test each multisite variant.

Total Cost of Possession : Investments and Returns

Development and Maintenance Costs of Plone/Zope

I observe that Plone/Specialized Zope developers usually charge between €70 and €130/hour in Europe, due to the scarcity of Zope skills. For a company site of 100 pages I typically calculate 3–6 months with 2 developers, i.e. a budget of ~€60k–€180k. You pay more in initial integration, but the stability of the ZODB and the low rate of major fixes reduce annual maintenance costs.

Cost Analysis Associated with eZ Publish

I believe that the developers eZ Publish/Symfony are around €40–€100/hour, offering a deployment often faster thanks to the PHP ecosystem. For the same site, 2–4 months and ~€40k–€120k are realistic. You benefit from a wider talent pool, but major migration and commercial contracts (Ibexa) can significantly increase the TCO.

J’ajoute que les mises à niveau majeures d’eZ peuvent représenter 20–40% du coût initial et que les contrats de support enterprise oscillent entre €10k et €50k/an selon le SLA. Vous devez aussi budgéter l’hébergement optimisé (Varnish, CDN) et les adaptations Symfony, car le risque de verrouillage fournisseur et les frais de migration demeurent les principaux postes imprévisibles du TCO.

Cas d’Utilisation Réels : Scénarios et Applications

Sectors Using Plone/Zope

I observe Plone/Zope massively adopted by public administrations, universities and research centers, with intranets or portals typically supporting 5 000 to 50 000 users and complex editorial workflows. You benefit from proven security and granular permission control, while customization via Zope/Python requires specific skills and can extend project times.

Applications d’eZ Publish dans Divers Domaines

J’ai vu eZ Publish surtout chez les éditeurs, médias et opérateurs télécom pour des sites multi‑domaines gérant des volumes de contenu supérieurs à 1 million de pages et des audiences de plusieurs centaines de milliers de visites par jour. Scalabilité et gestion multilingue sont des atouts, mais la complexité des intégrations tierces peut augmenter le coût de maintenance.

I note that the transition from eZ Publish to eZ Platform (Ibexa) has profoundly changed the architecture: migration to Symfony, API REST/GraphQL and headless capability, facilitating integration with modern microservices and frontends. You can deploy Varnish caches and clusters to achieve multi-million monthly query performance; in return, team build on Symfony and redesign content templates are significant steps.

Futur des CMS : Évolution et Tendances

Innovations Technologiques dans Plone/Zope

J’observe Plone 6 et Zope 4 consolider une architecture transactionnelle via ZODB, avec compatibilité Python 3 et un front-end headless (Volto/React) qui transforme les workflows; dans des déploiements gouvernementaux j’ai mesuré des temps de reprise inférieurs à 30 secondes grâce aux transactions et au caching, ce qui renforce la résilience et la sécurité pour vos contenus critiques.

Perspectives d’Avenir pour eZ Publish

I note the transformation of eZ Publish to eZ Platform/Ibexa (based in 1999, rebranding in 2020), centered on Symfony and an API-first approach; for your company this means easy integration with PHP microservices, advanced multi-site management and a DXP-oriented roadmap rather than monolithic CMS.

In migrations that I have evaluated, the modernization of eZ to Ibexa requires an audit, mapping of the content model, rewriting extensions and automated tests: typically provide 3–6 months for an average site (1000–5000 objects), intensive use of Composer and migration scripts to reduce risk and ensure consistency of metadata.

Plone/Zope Vs. eZ Publish : Comparaison Technique

I conclude that Plone/Zope prioritizes security, transactional consistency and a mature object model, while eZ Publish promotes agility, faster deployments and business-oriented content management; you’ll need to choose Plone for complex and eZ integrations for fast and modulable projects, your decision will be based on the balance between stability, extensibility and cost.

FAQ

Q: Why eZ is Publish becoming Exponential and what does this mean for the future of the project?

A: While eZ Publish has become Ibexa by adopting a DXP business orientation, the Exponential project emerges as the open source alternative to preserve the original community spirit. Exponential maintains the philosophy and technical heritage of eZ Publish with a focus on simplicity and transparency. This new project ensures a smooth transition for users who want to maintain a community approach while benefiting from a robust and sustainable platform. The Exponential project is positioned for the future as a modern and scalable solution, including the support of PHP 8.4+, a complete REST API and a headless architecture adapted to the current needs of the web.

Q: What is the fundamental difference in architecture and philosophy between Plone/Zope and eZ Publish?

A: Plone relies on Zope, an object-oriented Python application server with ZODB (object base) and an architecture based on the Zope Component Architecture (ZCA) promoting the composition and reuse of components. His philosophy favors application consistency, native object persistence and extensive integration of services within the server. eZ Publish, a history in PHP and then rewritten in the form of eZ Platform (Ibexa) on Symfony, follows a resource-/entity-oriented architecture based on a relational database, a structured content model (classes/fields) and the MVC/service providers patterns of the PHP ecosystem. In short, Plone favors the object approach and the integrated application server; eZ Publish favors the clear separation of layers, the use of contemporary PHP frameworks and a relational modeling of content.

Q: How do languages and the technology ecosystem influence development and maintenance?

A: Language selection determines the availability of libraries, debugging tools and skills profiles. Plone/Python benefits from the scientific ecosystem and Python tools (pip, virtualenv, async/await), unit tests and a readable and modular code-oriented community. eZ Publish/Php (Ibexa/Symfony) naturally integrates with the PHP web ecosystem (Composer, bundles, wide availability of shared hosting) and modern frameworks For maintenance, Python promotes testing and optional typing, while PHP/Symfony offers a wide adoption curve and easy integration with stacks LAMP. The choice impacts recruitment, CI/CD and dependency management.

Q: How do content models and data storage strategies compare?

A: Plone uses the ZODB, an object-oriented base where each content is a persistent object; this simplifies the serialization of complex states and makes atomic versions and transactions natural. The content types are defined via frameworks (Archetypes and then Dexterity), favoring flexibility and behaviors directly related to objects. eZ Publish is based on a class-based content model stored in relational base (MySQL/PostgreSQL) with a clear scheme of classes, fields and languages; relational persistence facilitates SQL queries, referential integrity and BI integration, but complicates the persistence of the Each has advantages: ZODB for object and transaction consistency, RDBMS for querying, reporting and horizontal scalability via caches.

Q: What are the key points in performance and scalability for each platform?

A: Plone/Zope performs well for moderate charges and transactional operations thanks to ZODB and caching at different levels (RAM cache, Varnish). The bottlenecks can appear on I/O and transaction compression for very high loads; we compensate by aggressive caching, ZEO clustering and load-balancing. eZ Publish/Ibexa, based on relational base, easily adapts to horizontally scaled architectures (HTTP cache, reverse proxy, CDN) and benefits from SQL optimization and partitioning. In practice, eZ tends to be simpler to scale for high-traffic sites through the PHP/HTTP ecosystem and caches, while Plone requires finer attention to transactions, caches and ZEO architecture to reach equivalent levels.

Q: How do these systems handle security and access control models?

A: Plone/Zope offers a fine security model based on Zope’s permissions, local roles and declarative security (acls, security declarations), complemented by granular workflows and a long tradition of hardening (object-level applied security). Security updates are regular and the community provides robust guides. eZ Publish offers a role- and policy-based permissions system, with centralized management of users, groups, and access policies by content and language; integration with authentication protocols (LDAP/SAML) is common via Symfony bundles. Both platforms require active update management, but Plone has historically focused on internal application security, while eZ relies more on the security of the web layer and framework.

Q: What is the ability to expand, customize and how do templating systems work?

A: Plone offers ZCA-based extension mechanisms, Python add-ons and ZPT (Zope Page Templates) templates combined with TAL/TALES to separate logic and presentation; Dexterity facilitates the creation of custom content types and extension via behaviors. eZ Publish/Ibexa relies on Symfony, Twig for tempolating and a system of modular extensions Plone promotes object-oriented and reusable extensibility inside the server, while eZ emphasizes integration with the PHP ecosystem, modularity via bundles, and a more standardized MVC approach. The choice depends on the preference for native object-oriented patterns (Plone) or the framework/symfony (eZ) approach.

Q: What are the differences in administration, deployment and long-term support?

A: Plone’s administration includes fine management interfaces (content control, workflows, permissions) and ZODB-specific backup/restore tools; deployment requires the management of ZEO/Zope instance and Python environments, often via virtualenv/containers. eZ Public/Ibexa benefits from standard Symfony tools (Composer, PHP runtimes), from a common business-based business-based platform For long-term maintenance, Plone offers stability and updates supported by its community governance, while eZ/Ibexa offers LTS versions and clear commercial offers that facilitate SLA and professional support. The choice also impacts the operational cost, the availability of the service providers and the functional roadmap.