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Kirby alternatives: 5 apps ranked by verified data

Facts checked Oct 25, 2026AppBreakup editorialHow we rank

Common reasons people leave Kirby: paid licence needed for every live site, and smaller plugin ecosystem than larger CMSs. We ranked 5 alternatives by how directly each one replaces Kirby, then by reviews, real visits and how recently each app's facts were checked against its own website. Statamic currently ranks first.

Quick comparison

#AppPricingOpen sourcePlatformsVerified factsScore
1Grav logoGravOpen sourceYesSelf-hosted, Web5 of 562.6
2ProcessWire logoProcessWireOpen sourceYesSelf-hosted, Web3 of 357.2
3Pages CMS logoPages CMSOpen sourceYesWeb, Self-hosted4 of 455.3
  1. Grav logo

    1. GravTop pick

    Best for: Developers and tinkerers who want a light, database-free PHP site

    Open sourceSelf-hostableSelf-hosted, Web

    62.6

    score / 100

    Why switch from Kirby

    Free, open-source flat-file PHP CMS for similar database-free sites.

    Pros

    • No database: Markdown files that live happily in Git
    • Runs on cheap shared PHP hosting
    • MIT-licensed and free, with an optional admin panel

    Cons

    • Smaller community and theme choice than big CMSs
    • Third-party plugin quality varies
    • Large sites with many editors outgrow flat files
    Visit Grav Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.387
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
    Freshness ×0.1585
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is Grav a good Kirby alternative?

    Verified facts

    5 of 5 verified
    License
    MIT
    Checked Oct 25, 2026github.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Storage
    Flat-file, no database
    Checked Oct 25, 2026getgrav.org(opens source in a new tab)
    Grav 2
    Adds first-party API and MCP server
    Checked Oct 25, 2026getgrav.org(opens source in a new tab)
    Requirements
    PHP 8.3+ (Grav 2)
    Checked Oct 25, 2026getgrav.org(opens source in a new tab)
    Multi-language
    Built in
    Checked Oct 25, 2026getgrav.org(opens source in a new tab)
  2. ProcessWire logo

    2. ProcessWire

    Best for: PHP developers who want total control over markup with a stable, simple core

    Open sourceSelf-hostableSelf-hosted, Web

    57.2

    score / 100

    Why switch from Kirby

    Free open-source PHP CMS with a flexible field system.

    Pros

    • Very flexible fields and templates for any content shape
    • Clean PHP API that's quick to learn
    • Stable core with careful, backwards-compatible releases

    Cons

    • Small community and few ready-made themes
    • Not aimed at non-developers building their own site
    • Development leans heavily on one lead maintainer
    Visit ProcessWire Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.369
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
    Freshness ×0.1585
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is ProcessWire a good Kirby alternative?

    Verified facts

    3 of 3 verified
    Open source
    Yes
    Checked Oct 25, 2026processwire.com(opens source in a new tab)
    API reference
    Documents all classes and API variables
    Checked Oct 25, 2026processwire.com(opens source in a new tab)
    License
    MPL 2.0
    Checked Oct 25, 2026processwire.com(opens source in a new tab)
  3. Pages CMS logo

    3. Pages CMS

    Best for: Developers handing content editing on small GitHub-hosted static sites to others

    Open sourceSelf-hostableWeb, Self-hosted

    55.3

    score / 100

    Why switch from Kirby

    Free Git-based editor if your site is already a static site in GitHub.

    Pros

    • Free hosted app with nothing to install in your site
    • Works with any static site generator
    • MIT-licensed and self-hostable

    Cons

    • GitHub only
    • Basic field types and permissions
    • Small project without commercial support
    Visit Pages CMS Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.363
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
    Freshness ×0.1585
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is Pages CMS a good Kirby alternative?

    Verified facts

    4 of 4 verified
    Open source
    Yes, for GitHub-hosted static sites
    Checked Oct 25, 2026pagescms.org(opens source in a new tab)
    Storage
    Content and media in your GitHub repo
    Checked Oct 25, 2026pagescms.org(opens source in a new tab)
    Backend
    None: no database or API
    Checked Oct 25, 2026pagescms.org(opens source in a new tab)
    Configuration
    A .pages.yml file in the repo
    Checked Oct 25, 2026pagescms.org(opens source in a new tab)

The best Kirby alternative for…

The highest-ranked app in this list for each need.

Statamic logo

Best Kirby alternative for most people

Statamic

Flat-file CMS on Laravel with a free Core edition.

Grav logo

Best Kirby alternative for a free option

Grav

Free, open-source flat-file PHP CMS for similar database-free sites.

Craft CMS logo

Best Kirby alternative for a free plan you can upgrade

Craft CMS

Database-backed PHP CMS with similar developer control and a bigger plugin store.

ProcessWire logo

Best Kirby alternative for open source

ProcessWire

Free open-source PHP CMS with a flexible field system.

Pages CMS logo

Best Kirby alternative for self-hosting

Pages CMS

Free Git-based editor if your site is already a static site in GitHub.

Statamic logo

Best Kirby alternative for working in the browser

Statamic

Flat-file CMS on Laravel with a free Core edition.

Kirby alternatives: common questions

What is the best alternative to Kirby?

Statamic ranks first right now. Flat-file CMS on Laravel with a free Core edition. Grav and Craft CMS follow it in our ranking.

Is there a free alternative to Kirby?

Yes. Statamic (free plan + paid), Grav (open source), Craft CMS (free plan + paid) and ProcessWire (open source) have a free option. Check each app's verified facts for current plan limits.

Is there an open-source alternative to Kirby?

Yes: Grav, ProcessWire and Pages CMS. Grav, ProcessWire and Pages CMS can also be self-hosted.

Why do people switch from Kirby?

The complaints we hear most: paid licence needed for every live site; smaller plugin ecosystem than larger CMSs; anything custom needs PHP development.

How is this list ranked?

Every app is scored with the same published formula: how directly it replaces Kirby, reviews (weighted by verification), visits from AppBreakup, how recently its facts were checked against its own website, and reader votes.