SHSelfHostIndex

Grav vs Joomla

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?
GR Grav Fast flat-file CMS with no database required VS JO Joomla Versatile CMS balancing power and ease of use
FeatureGravJoomla
CategoryContent Management SystemsContent Management Systems
LicenseMITGPL-2.0
LanguagePHPPHP
Setup difficultyEasyMedium
Min. RAM256 MB512 MB
Deploymentdocker, bare-metal, sourcedocker, bare-metal
GitHub stars★ 15,620★ 5,122
First released20142005
ReplacesWordPress, SquarespaceWix, Squarespace

Why pick each one

Choose Grav if…

  • Trivial to back up and migrate
  • Quick to set up
Grav details

Choose Joomla if…

  • Good middle ground in flexibility
  • Multilingual without extra plugins
Joomla details

Frequently asked questions

Is Grav or Joomla better?

Grav is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider Joomla if its specific feature set fits your needs better.

Are Grav and Joomla free and open-source?

Yes. Grav is licensed under MIT and Joomla under GPL-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.

Can I run Grav and Joomla with Docker?

Grav: yes. Joomla: yes.

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