Flat-file CMS. No apologies.
Grav is a modern, open source flat-file CMS. No database, no SQL, no installation wizard. You unzip it, drop Markdown into a folder, and you have a fast, secure, version-controllable website. Grav exists because most sites don't need the weight of a database-driven CMS, and publishing on the web should be simple.
Grav 2.0 is the biggest leap in the project's history. A first-class REST API for headless and decoupled builds, a completely rebuilt Admin 2.0, and a native MCP server that lets AI assistants and agents read, write, and manage your site directly. Under the hood it's still the same honest foundation: Twig templating, Symfony components, and flat files you can keep in Git.
Grav has always been free and always been open. Hundreds of plugins and themes, a generous community, and thousands of sites in production, from personal blogs to enterprise documentation. After more than a decade, the original pitch hasn't changed: your content lives in files you own.
Supported by
people like you.
Grav is free and will stay free. Server costs, security updates, and occasional coffee are paid for by companies and individuals who donate through Open Collective. Thank you — you make it possible.
Why Grav exists.
It started with a frustration, grew into a weekend project, and became something a lot of people depend on. Here is how it happened.
The Idea
Frustrated with database-heavy CMSs for small sites, Andy sketched a flat-file alternative: no MySQL, no installation wizards, just unzip and edit Markdown.
Grav 1.0
First stable release. Built on Twig, Symfony components, and a custom flat-file storage layer. The admin plugin arrived shortly after.
GPM
The Grav Package Manager debuts — a single command to install plugins, themes, and skeletons from the official index.
Flex Objects
A major re-architecture introducing Flex — a flexible, fast object layer that unlocks multi-language, multi-user, and relational content without ever touching a database.
Grav 1.7
30+ months of work, PHP 7.3+, overhauled caching, and deep Flex integration across the whole stack.
Grav 2.0 Major release
The biggest release in Grav's history. A headless REST API, the all-new Admin 2.0, a native MCP server for AI assistants and agents, modern PHP, and a migration tool that brings 1.x sites along in one command. Same flat files, built for the next decade of the web.
Grav today
Grav powers thousands of sites, from personal blogs to corporate documentation. Still flat-file. Still fast. Still free.