Grav vs Gridsome
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted apps from related categories — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Not the right match-up?
Grav
Fast flat-file CMS with no database required
VS
Gridsome
Vue.js static site generator with a GraphQL data layer
| Feature | Grav | Gridsome |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Content Management Systems | Blogging Platforms |
| License | MIT | MIT |
| Language | PHP | JavaScript |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 256 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal, source | source, binary |
| GitHub stars | ★ 15,620 | ★ 8,476 |
| First released | 2014 | 2018 |
| Replaces | WordPress, Squarespace | Gatsby, WordPress |
Why pick each one
Choose Gridsome if…
- Released under the MIT license
- Mature project with 8.5k GitHub stars
- Written in JavaScript
- Lightweight — runs in 512 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is Grav or Gridsome better?
Grav is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider Gridsome if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are Grav and Gridsome free and open-source?
Yes. Grav is licensed under MIT and Gridsome under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Grav and Gridsome with Docker?
Grav: yes. Gridsome: check the project docs for container support.