Jadu Central

Overview

Jadu Central is a low-code platform for managing websites and online forms, built for local government and higher education. It is strongest for institutions that need forms, multiple public-facing sites and internal information access in one platform; organisations outside those sectors may find its focus too narrow.

Key features

Form builders can create forms with branching and automation rules without technical skills. That can help public-service teams shape workflows without relying on developers for every change, though the platform’s low-code approach is not a substitute for confirming that it fits a particular process.

Central supports separate microsites, called Galaxies, alongside multilingual publishing and document management. Its templates are described by Jadu as meeting WCAG 2.2 AA and working on any device. These capabilities suit institutions managing varied services and audiences, but the breadth of the platform may be more than a smaller organisation needs.

End users can use MyAccount to see progress updates and personalised content. Central Gateway adds an intranet for teams, employees and partners to access information, documents and forms. Together, these features connect public-facing services with internal access needs rather than treating website publishing as the whole job.

Integrations include Google Maps, reCAPTCHA, LDAP/Active Directory, Mailchimp, Office 365 calendars, Esri mapping and SAML identity providers. Payment adapters include GOV.UK Pay, WorldPay, TouchNet, SecurePay and Barclaycard SmartPay. Security controls include trusted IP restrictions, concurrent-login prevention, rate-limited login with reCAPTCHA, and password and session expiry. Jadu says sensitive data is encrypted where appropriate and passwords are hashed with salted BCrypt.

Pricing

Jadu Central: custom pricing, with demos and further information available on request. There is no free plan, so buyers should establish the subscription cost and deployment and installation arrangements before committing. No seat, usage or trial terms are provided to compare, making a tailored quote central to evaluating the total fit.

Platforms

Central is described by Jadu as a cloud solution hosted on Amazon Web Services. The platform also has installation documentation for Linux and Windows Server: Central 4 and above supports Linux and Windows Server 2025, while Central 3 and below supports Windows Server 2019. Jadu provides the relevant installer through a project or Support, and directs customers to Support for patches through Deployer. Buyers should confirm which deployment route and installation version suit their environment.

Who it's for

Central is a natural fit for local authorities and higher-education institutions that need accessible, multilingual websites, configurable forms, multiple microsites and internal information access. It is less compelling for buyers seeking a free starting point, or for organisations that only need a straightforward website and do not need its broader institutional capabilities.

Pros and cons

• Pro: Forms support branching and automation without requiring technical skills, which can give service teams more control over routine workflow changes.
• Pro: Microsites, MyAccount and Gateway bring public publishing, personalised updates and intranet access into one platform.
• Pro: WCAG 2.2 AA templates, multilingual publishing and a range of listed identity, mapping and payment integrations address common institutional requirements.
• Con: There is no free plan, and custom pricing makes cost comparison harder before a sales conversation.
• Con: Cloud hosting and documented server installations mean buyers need to clarify their preferred deployment and version requirements with Jadu.
• Con: Its stated focus on local government and higher education makes it a less obvious choice for organisations outside those audiences.

Alternatives

For councils seeking a free, open-source option, LocalGov Drupal offers its CMS at no cost for UK and Irish councils and supports API, self-hosted and web platforms. Choose it when open-source availability matters more than Central’s combination of forms, microsites and intranet capabilities.

Government Site Builder has a free GPL 3.0 open-source distribution, though hosting, support, training and custom development may incur costs. It suits buyers looking for an open-source government site builder; its hosted ITZBund option is also available.

Town Web is a paid municipal website option with Android, iOS and web platforms; its listed starting price is $99 a month, with the exact price quoted and a nominal one-time build fee also applying. Consider it when mobile apps are part of the requirement.

Council Platform prices its web offering by monthly page-view bands, starting at £200 a month for up to 5,000 monthly page views. It is worth comparing when a council wants a published usage-based licence price.

Digital Place offers API and web platforms with feature packs and all-inclusive SaaS pricing.

OpenCities is a web platform with population-based subscription pricing.

Public Platform has web plans priced by monthly page-view bands, with the first listed band at £200 a month for up to 5,000 views.

Contensis for Councils is a paid API and web option with published Starter and Plus plans.

Browse more options in Government Website Builders or Content Management Systems.

Verdict

Choose Jadu Central if you are a local-government or higher-education organisation that needs configurable forms alongside multi-site publishing, personalised account updates and an intranet. Its breadth is the main reason to choose it; custom pricing, no free plan and the need to confirm deployment details are strong reasons to compare alternatives first.