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Grav

A flat-file CMS: build websites from Markdown files, no database needed.

GitHub Download 2.2.21
Stars
15.7k
Forks
1.4k
Licence
MIT
Language
PHP
Last update
5 days ago
Type
App

What it is

Grav is a content management system for building websites. Pages are written as Markdown text files and stored as plain files rather than in a database. It is built on PHP and uses Twig for templates and YAML for configuration, and it includes a package manager for installing plugins and themes.

  • Run a personal or company website where pages are Markdown files in a folder
  • Install plugins and themes through the built-in Grav Package Manager (bin/gpm)
  • Update Grav itself with bin/gpm selfupgrade within a major version
  • Create a new project from Composer with composer create-project getgrav/grav

Great for

  • Developers who want a PHP website without running a database
  • People building small-to-medium content sites who prefer editing plain text files
  • Teams comfortable with PHP, Twig and YAML who want to extend the system with plugins

Not ideal for

  • Non-technical users who need a point-and-click site builder, since setup and customization assume some PHP and command-line familiarity
  • Sites that require a database-driven workflow with heavy user accounts or complex data relations, as the README does not describe that model
Step-by-step guide: how to use GravInstall, first run, examples, tips and FAQs

How to get it

  1. 1

    Clone and build from source

    You'll need: PHP 8.3 or higher · Apache or IIS web server (see requirements) · Composer (for the Composer install option) · Git (for the GitHub install option)

    Create a new project with Composer

    composer create-project getgrav/grav ~/webroot/grav

    Clone the repository

    git clone https://github.com/getgrav/grav.git

    Install plugin and theme dependencies

    bin/grav install
  2. 2

    Run it

    • Install PHP 8.3 or higher and check the required modules list
    • Get Grav using one of the QuickStart options (ZIP download, Composer, or Git clone)
    • Run bin/grav install inside the Grav folder to install dependencies
    • Point your web server at the Grav folder and open it in a browser
  3. 3

    Get the most out of it

    • Use bin/gpm index to list available plugins and themes, then bin/gpm install to add them
    • Keep Grav current with bin/gpm selfupgrade and bin/gpm update for plugins and themes
    • Read the Grav CLI documentation at learn.getgrav.org for command-line tools
    • Browse the Grav Cookbook and the awesome-grav list for examples

Downloads

Source code (.zip)develop branch · straight from GitHubRelease 2.2.213 files incl. grav-v2.2.21.zipOfficial website & docsgetgrav.org

Strengths

  • No database installation is required; you extract the ZIP and it runs, according to the README
  • Uses established components such as Twig, Markdown and YAML, which the README highlights as its core architecture
  • Includes a package manager for plugins, themes and self-updates

Trade-offs

  • Version 2.0 requires a dedicated migration from 1.x; the standard upgrade command does not cross that boundary
  • Requires PHP 8.3 or higher, plus Apache or IIS requirements to check
  • The README is truncated, so details on security model and hosting options are limited

How it compares

ProjectStarsTypeLevelUpdatedBest for
grav (this)15.7kAppintermediate5 days agoDevelopers who want a PHP website without running a database
pico16.8kLibrarybeginner1 months agoDevelopers who want a quick, clean look for a small static page or prototype
wallabag13kAppintermediate4 days agoPeople who want a read-later app they control on their own server
symfony31.2kLibraryintermediate4 days agoPHP developers building web applications that need a structured framework
CodeIgniter18.2kFrameworkintermediate2.3 years agoPHP developers who want a framework with a relatively small footprint
phpstan14.1kDev toolintermediate4 days agoPHP developers who want to catch bugs earlier than tests alone allow

Stats synced from GitHub. The assessment above was drafted with AI from the project's README on 2026-10-29 and may miss recent changes — check the README before relying on a command. MIT licence: free to use, modify and distribute, including commercially, as long as you keep the copyright notice.