Formwork 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.
Not the right match-up?
Formwork
Flat-file CMS for personal sites and blogs
VS
Grav
Fast flat-file CMS with no database required
| Feature | Formwork | Grav |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Content Management Systems | Content Management Systems |
| License | MIT | MIT |
| Language | PHP | PHP |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 64 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | bare-metal, source | docker, bare-metal, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 76 | ★ 15,620 |
| First released | 2018 | 2014 |
| Replaces | WordPress, Ghost | WordPress, Squarespace |
Why pick each one
Choose Formwork if…
- Released under the MIT license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- Written in PHP
- Tiny footprint — runs in 64 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is Formwork 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 Formwork and Grav free and open-source?
Yes. Formwork is licensed under MIT and Grav under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Formwork and Grav with Docker?
Formwork: check the project docs for container support. Grav: yes.