Open-Source CMS · getgrav

grav

Grav is a flat-file PHP-based CMS requiring no database setup, built on Markdown, Twig, and Symfony components. It emphasizes speed, simplicity, and ease of deployment with a built-in package manager for plugins and themes.

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Source: GitHub — github.com/getgrav/grav

15.6k

GitHub stars

1.4k

Forks

PHP

Primary language

MIT

License (OSI-approved)

Key facts

Objective fields from the source. Values we can't verify are shown as “Unknown” rather than guessed.

Field	Value
Repository	getgrav/grav
Owner	getgrav
Primary language	PHP
License	MIT — OSI-approved
Stars	15.6k
Forks	1.4k
Open issues	453
Latest release	2.0.8 (2026-07-06)
Last updated	2026-07-06
Source	https://github.com/getgrav/grav

What grav is

Grav is a PHP 8.3+ flat-file CMS leveraging Symfony Cache, Twig templating, Parsedown for Markdown, YAML configuration, and Pimple DI container. Content is stored as files and folders rather than in a database, with CLI tooling for package and lifecycle management.

Quickstart

Get the grav source

Clone the repository and explore it locally.

terminalbash

1git clone https://github.com/getgrav/grav.git2cd grav3# follow the project's README for install & configuration

Need it deployed, integrated, or customized instead? DEV.co ships production installs.

Best use cases

Documentation sites and knowledge bases

Flat-file structure suits version-controlled, lightweight documentation with Markdown content, minimal infrastructure overhead, and easy deployment to static hosting or simple servers.

Agency portfolio and marketing websites

Quick deployment, theme/plugin extensibility via package manager, and Markdown-driven content creation reduce time-to-launch for small to medium marketing and portfolio sites.

Content-heavy blogs and news sites

Markdown-first workflow, built-in caching via Symfony, and straightforward plugin architecture support content-heavy sites without database complexity or scaling concerns for moderate traffic.

Implementation considerations

PHP 8.3+ is mandatory; verify server or containerized environment supports required PHP version and all listed PHP modules before deployment.
Grav 2.0 (current latest) breaks compatibility with 1.x; migration from 1.x requires dedicated upgrade path and testing; 1.x → 2.x is not an automatic selfupgrade.
File permissions and directory ownership must be carefully managed in production; ensure web server user has appropriate read/write access to content and cache directories.
No built-in backup or versioning; integrate external version control (Git) and backup strategies for content durability and disaster recovery.
Package manager (GPM) and CLI tooling (`bin/grav`) require shell access and Composer; hosted environments without CLI may complicate plugin/theme installation and updates.

When to avoid it — and what to weigh

High-volume user-generated content or real-time collaboration — Flat-file architecture lacks native locking, transactions, and concurrent-write safety; unsuitable for platforms where multiple authors edit simultaneously or thousands of daily content submissions occur.
Strict SQL-based reporting or analytics requirements — No native relational database; complex queries, cross-content joins, and advanced analytics require custom tooling or post-processing, increasing development effort.
Massive scale (millions of files or complex content relationships) — File system performance degrades with very large content trees; complex hierarchical or relational content is harder to model and query than in a database-backed CMS.
Organizations needing enterprise SLA or vendor support contracts — Grav is community-driven with no commercial support tier or SLA guarantees; critical production issues depend on community response and volunteer maintenance.

License & commercial use

Grav is released under the MIT License, a permissive OSI-approved open-source license. MIT allows use, modification, and distribution for any purpose (commercial or otherwise) with minimal restrictions.

MIT License permits commercial use without restriction. However, MIT includes no warranty or liability protection; users assume all risk. No commercial support, SLA, or legal indemnification is provided by the Grav project. Organizations using Grav in production should review their risk tolerance and consider supplementary support arrangements or insurance.

DEV.co evaluation signals

Editorial assessment — not user reviews. Directional, with an explicit confidence level.

Signal	Assessment
Maintenance	Active
Documentation	Adequate
License clarity	Clear
Deployment complexity	Low
DEV.co fit	Good
Assessment confidence	High

Security considerations

No security audit, penetration test results, or known vulnerabilities are disclosed in the data provided. Grav runs PHP code and processes file uploads; misconfigurations (file permissions, unsafe plugin code, unpatched PHP versions) can introduce injection, path traversal, or shell access risks. The project maintains a security contact ([email protected]) for responsible disclosure. Use of Symfony components (well-maintained) mitigates some infrastructure risk. Production deployments should follow PHP hardening best practices, isolate file directories, restrict file execution, and keep PHP and dependencies current.

Alternatives to consider

Hugo

Static site generator written in Go; zero runtime dependencies, extreme speed, and Git-friendly for docs/blogs. Trades templating flexibility and plugin extensibility for simplicity and performance.

WordPress

Database-backed PHP CMS with vast ecosystem, commercial support options, and thousands of plugins. Higher infrastructure requirements (database, more memory) but superior for complex multi-user or enterprise workflows.

Statamic or Craft

Modern PHP CMSes offering file or database backends, strong developer ergonomics, and commercial support. Craft is proprietary (paid licenses); both provide more structured admin UIs and headless CMS features than Grav.

Software development agency

Build on grav with DEV.co software developers

Review deployment architecture, hosting requirements, and migration strategy with your infrastructure team. Verify PHP 8.3+ availability and test the package manager workflow in a staging environment before production rollout.

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grav FAQ

Do I need a database to run Grav?

No. Grav is file-based; content, configuration, and metadata are stored as files (Markdown, YAML) in the file system, eliminating database setup and maintenance overhead.

Can I upgrade from Grav 1.x to 2.x automatically?

No. Grav 2.0 is a major release with a PHP 8.3+ baseline and breaking changes. Upgrading from 1.x to 2.x requires a dedicated migration process outlined at getgrav.org/migrate-to-2 before running selfupgrade.

What are the hosting requirements?

A server with PHP 8.3 or higher, Apache or IIS, and appropriate PHP modules (see requirements list). No database engine is required. Shared hosting with PHP 8.3+ support is sufficient for most Grav deployments.

Is there commercial support or an SLA available?

Unknown. Grav is community-maintained and volunteers provide support via Discord and documentation. No official commercial support tier, SLA, or vendor support contract is mentioned; critical production issues depend on community response.

Software development & web development with DEV.co

DEV.co helps companies turn open-source tools like grav into production software. Our software development services cover the full lifecycle — architecture, web development, integration, and maintenance — delivered by software developers and web developers who ship. Engage our software development agency to implement or customize it for your open-source cms stack.

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