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Grav

Open-source flat-file CMS in PHP that stores pages as Markdown, no database required.

Open sourceSelf-hostableContent management systems
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About Grav

Grav is a free, open-source flat-file CMS built with PHP, Twig and Symfony components and released under the MIT licence. Pages are Markdown files with YAML front matter in folders, so there is no database to install, back up or secure, and an entire site can be copied or versioned with Git. An optional admin plugin gives editors a browser dashboard, and a package manager installs themes and plugins from the command line or the admin. Grav 2 adds a first-party API and a new admin. It suits personal sites, documentation, small business sites and developers who want something lighter than WordPress but still dynamic. The trade-offs are a smaller community, fewer polished themes, and occasional rough edges in third-party plugins. Grav is free; some premium plugins and themes are sold separately. It runs on any PHP host, including cheap shared hosting.

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

Pros and cons

What works

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

Why people leave

  • Smaller community and theme choice than big CMSs
  • Third-party plugin quality varies
  • Large sites with many editors outgrow flat files

Top Grav alternatives

See all 5
  1. 1Kirby logo
    Kirby

    Paid flat-file PHP CMS with a more polished, customisable panel.

    66.5
  2. 2Statamic logo
    Statamic

    Flat-file CMS on Laravel with stronger multi-user features in Pro.

    62.6
  3. 3Hugo logo
    Hugo

    Static site generator that also uses Markdown, with no server-side PHP at all.

    59.6
  4. 4WordPress logo
    WordPress

    Bigger ecosystem when you need plugins for every feature.

    57.2
  5. 5Jekyll logo
    Jekyll

    Markdown-based static sites that host free on GitHub Pages.

    55.3

Why people left Grav

In reviewers' own words, from reviews of the apps they moved to. These are their opinions, not ours.

No switching stories yet. If you moved away from Grav, review the app you switched to and tell us why.

Reviews

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Grav: common questions

Is Grav free?

Yes. Grav is free, open-source software that you can host yourself.

Is Grav open source?

Yes. The source code is on GitHub at getgrav/grav. You can also run it on your own server.

What platforms does Grav run on?

Grav is available for Self-hosted and Web.

What are the best alternatives to Grav?

The highest-ranked Grav alternatives right now are Kirby, Statamic and Hugo. See the full ranked list for pricing, platforms and verified facts.

See all 5 Grav alternatives