Grav CMS

Grav is a self-hosted, open-source content management system built around flat files rather than a relational database. Content is commonly stored as Markdown with YAML frontmatter, while Twig templates control presentation.

The project began in 2014, released Grav 1.0 in September 2015, and introduced Grav 2.0 with a rebuilt administration experience, a first-party REST API, and MCP support. Grav is maintained by creator and lead developer Andy Miller.

Grav suits developers and technical content teams that want version-controllable site files. It requires hosting with PHP and gives administrators control over themes, plugins, content structure, users, and configuration.

Grav stores site content in the filesystem, which removes the need for MySQL or another database. Users can install the software by extracting an archive, using Composer, cloning the repository, or running the official Docker image.

The Admin Next interface is a single-page application powered by the Grav API. It provides page management, configuration, media handling, plugin and theme management, user permissions, multilingual editing, dashboards, and responsive layouts.

Grav uses Twig for templating and supports Markdown-based page editing. Its package manager installs plugins, themes, and skeleton packages from the official directory. The directory currently lists hundreds of plugins and more than one hundred themes.

The first-party API plugin exposes content, media, users, configuration, taxonomy, and system operations through authenticated REST endpoints. The project also provides an MCP server for compatible AI assistants and agents.

Grav is free to download and use under the MIT license. The project does not publish paid software plans or a conventional time-limited trial because the core product is self-hosted and open source.

Users pay separately for hosting, infrastructure, development, maintenance, premium themes, or commercial plugins when those services apply. The project accepts voluntary financial support through Open Collective.

Pros:

• Free, open-source software with MIT licensing.
• Does not require a database for core content storage.
• Content files work well with Git-based workflows and backups.
• Includes official themes, plugins, documentation, and Docker support.
• Provides a REST API and MCP integration for headless and AI-assisted workflows.
• Supports multilingual sites, custom templates, taxonomies, and granular permissions.

Cons:

• Users must arrange their own hosting, updates, backups, and security operations.
• PHP configuration and filesystem permissions can complicate deployment.
• Theme and plugin compatibility can vary between Grav versions.
• The flat-file model may require additional planning for very large or highly transactional sites.
• Public third-party review coverage is limited.

WordPress is a broader database-backed CMS with a larger commercial ecosystem and hosted options. Kirby is another file-based CMS with a polished panel and commercial licensing. Statamic combines flat-file and database options with a commercial licensing model.

Strapi and Payload are stronger alternatives for API-first, developer-focused headless projects. Craft CMS and ProcessWire provide more structured content-management workflows, although their licensing, hosting, and database requirements differ from Grav.

Is Grav CMS free?
Yes. Grav is free and open source, with the core project distributed under the MIT license.

Does Grav require a database?
No. Grav’s core content model uses flat files. Some optional extensions or deployment designs may introduce additional services.

What server does Grav need?
Grav runs on a PHP-capable web server such as Apache, Nginx, LiteSpeed, or IIS. Current Grav 2 development metadata requires PHP 8.3, while older documentation describes Grav 1.7 requirements.

Does Grav have an API?
Yes. The first-party API plugin provides authenticated REST endpoints for pages, taxonomy, media, users, configuration, and system operations.

Does Grav integrate with AI tools?
Grav 2 includes MCP support through a first-party server and related plugin options. These tools can allow compatible AI clients to read or manage site content through authenticated access.

Does Grav offer a free trial?
A conventional trial is not necessary for the core product because Grav is free to download and self-host. Hosting and paid extensions may have separate terms.