Anchor CMS vs Grav
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted content management systems options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Grav
Fast flat-file CMS with no database required
| Feature | Anchor CMS | Grav |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 15 · At risk | 95 · Excellent |
| Status | Archived | Actively maintained |
| Category | Content Management Systems | Content Management Systems |
| License | GPL-3.0 | MIT |
| Language | PHP | PHP |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 128 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | bare-metal, docker, source | docker, bare-metal, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 3,293 | ★ 15,671 |
| First released | 2012 | 2014 |
| Replaces | WordPress | WordPress, Squarespace |
What are Anchor CMS and Grav?
Anchor CMS
Anchor CMS is a super-simple, lightweight open-source blogging platform and CMS written in PHP. It focuses on minimalism and getting out of the writer's way.
- Minimal and lightweight
- Markdown editing
- Simple theming
- Quick setup
Grav
Grav is a modern open-source flat-file CMS that requires no database, storing content in Markdown files. It is fast to deploy and well suited to blogs, documentation, and small to medium websites.
- No database needed
- Markdown-based content
- Plugin and theme ecosystem
- Fast page rendering
Anchor CMS vs Grav: key differences
The biggest difference is maintenance: Anchor CMS's repository is archived and no longer developed, while Grav is actively maintained. Both projects are written in PHP. Licensing differs — GPL-3.0 for Anchor CMS versus MIT for Grav. Anchor CMS is the lighter option, starting around 128 MB of RAM against 256 MB for Grav. Anchor CMS is the more established project (first released 2012), while Grav arrived in 2014. Grav has the considerably larger community, at 15,671 GitHub stars versus 3,293.
Why pick each one
Choose Anchor CMS if…
- Very lightweight
- Easy installation
Watch out for
- Limited features
- Development inactive
Choose Grav if…
- Trivial to back up and migrate
- Quick to set up
Watch out for
- Less ideal for very large sites
- Admin plugin needed for GUI editing
Frequently asked questions
Is Anchor CMS or Grav better?
Neither is universally better. Grav has the larger community; both share a easy setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Anchor CMS and Grav free and open-source?
Yes. Anchor CMS is licensed under GPL-3.0 and Grav under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Anchor CMS and Grav with Docker?
Anchor CMS: yes. Grav: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Anchor CMS or Grav?
Anchor CMS has the smaller minimum footprint at 128 MB of RAM, compared to about 256 MB for Grav. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.