Grav
Fast, simple, and flexible flat-file CMS with no database required
Overview
Grav is a modern flat-file CMS written in PHP that requires no database — content is stored as Markdown files on the filesystem. It features a powerful plugin and theme ecosystem, a built-in admin panel, and excellent performance out of the box. Its simplicity makes it ideal for blogs, portfolios, and small business sites.
Where it falls short of WordPress.com
- No built-in multi-user editorial workflow or fine-grained permissions
- E-commerce and membership features require third-party plugins
- Flat-file storage can become slow with thousands of pages
We list the gaps honestly so you can decide if the trade-off is worth owning your data.
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