Free and open source
$0
forever
Grav core is free to download, self-host, modify, and redistribute under the MIT license. Hosting and optional commercial extensions are separate costs.
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Grav CMS
Grav is a free, open-source flat-file CMS using Markdown, Twig, Symfony components, and file-based content storage.
Editorial overview
Aggregated Overview
Grav provides file-based Markdown content, Twig themes, an administration panel, multilingual capabilities, plugins, themes, a REST API, and an MCP server. It is free and open source, but self-hosting requires PHP and server administration. Public review evidence is limited to two Product Hunt revie
This profile combines documented product information and independent evidence where available. It is not a hands-on test unless TechZella explicitly identifies one.
Grav CMS Decision Snapshot
A quick way to understand who this product may suit, where its limits matter, and which facts are most relevant before you compare alternatives.
Platforms
API, Docker, Linux, macOS, Web, Windows
TechZella assessment
8.7/10
Overview
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 CMS Pros & Cons
Pros
- Free and open-source MIT-licensed core
- No database required for standard content storage
- Git-friendly filesystem structure
- Strong developer customization through Twig, YAML, and plugins
- First-party REST API and MCP support
- Official Docker image and Composer workflows
Cons
- Self-hosting requires server and PHP administration
- No bundled managed hosting service
- Compatibility varies across Grav, theme, and plugin versions
- Large transactional workloads may require architectural extensions
- Limited public review volume
Grav CMS Pricing & Plans
Pricing may change. Verify current plans on the vendor's website.
Grav CMS Competitors & Alternatives
Compare similar products directly, then see which alternatives may make more sense when your requirements differ.
Direct competitors
These products address broadly similar requirements. The descriptions focus on documented reasons a buyer might compare them with Grav CMS.
Grav CMS Features
Content Management
- Flat-file content storage
- Markdown editing
- YAML frontmatter
- Page and folder hierarchy
- Taxonomies
- Media management
- Draft and publishing controls
- Multilingual content
Administration
- Admin Next single-page interface
- Page tree, list, and columns views
- Configuration management
- User accounts and permissions
- Plugin and theme management
- Dashboard widgets
- Responsive administration interface
Development
- Twig templating
- Symfony components
- Custom themes
- Blueprint-driven forms
- Grav Package Manager
- Git-friendly content files
- Composer installation
- Official Docker image
API and AI
- First-party REST API plugin
- Authenticated API keys
- Headless content delivery
- MCP server support
- API-based Admin Next interface
- AI agent content operations
Performance and Operations
- File-based deployment
- Twig caching
- Page caching
- Image caching
- Asset caching
- Optional APCu, Memcached, or Redis support
- CLI administration
Grav CMS Specifications
| Deployment model | Self-hosted |
|---|---|
| License | MIT |
| Programming language | PHP |
| Content format | Markdown and YAML |
| Template engine | Twig |
| Database | Not required |
| API | First-party REST API plugin |
| AI integration | MCP server support |
| Integrations | Git, Composer, Docker, REST clients, MCP-compatible AI clients, and community plugins |
| Free trial | Not applicable, core software is free |
| Current stable release | v2.1.2 |
| Supported web servers | Apache, Nginx, LiteSpeed, IIS, and PHP built-in server for testing |
| PHP requirement | PHP 8.3 for current Grav 2 development metadata |
| Official extensions | 496 plugins, 129 themes, and 56 skeletons listed on the official downloads directory |
Our evidence-based assessment
TechZella Score
A proprietary editorial score based on product capabilities, usability, value, performance, support and user sentiment evidence.
8.7/10Moderate confidence
Grav provides file-based Markdown content, Twig themes, an administration panel, multilingual capabilities, plugins, themes, a REST API, and an MCP server. It is free and open source, but self-hosting requires PHP and server administration. Public review evidence is limited to two Product Hunt reviews.
Methodology v1.0. The assessment weighs feature coverage (25%), ease of use (15%), value for money (20%), performance (15%), support (10%) and user sentiment (15%), using researched product evidence and verified review evidence where available. It is a TechZella editorial assessment, not a direct user-review average.
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FAQ
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.