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.
Grav
Fast flat-file CMS with no database required
VS
Joomla
Versatile CMS balancing power and ease of use
| Feature | Grav | Joomla |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 95 · Excellent | 90 · Excellent |
| Category | Content Management Systems | Content Management Systems |
| License | MIT | GPL-2.0 |
| Language | PHP | PHP |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 256 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal, source | docker, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 15,671 | ★ 5,143 |
| First released | 2014 | 2005 |
| Replaces | WordPress, Squarespace | Wix, Squarespace |
What are Grav and Joomla?
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
Joomla
Joomla is a long-established open-source CMS that sits between WordPress and Drupal in complexity. It offers built-in multilingual support, flexible templating, and a wide range of extensions for building websites and portals.
- Built-in multilingual content
- Flexible access control levels
- Large extension directory
- Strong templating system
Grav vs Joomla: key differences
Both projects are written in PHP. Licensing differs — MIT for Grav versus GPL-2.0 for Joomla. Grav is the lighter option, starting around 256 MB of RAM against 512 MB for Joomla. Joomla is the more established project (first released 2005), while Grav arrived in 2014. Grav has the considerably larger community, at 15,671 GitHub stars versus 5,143.
Why pick each one
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
Choose Joomla if…
- Good middle ground in flexibility
- Multilingual without extra plugins
Watch out for
- Smaller community than WordPress
- Extension quality varies
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.
Which is lighter on resources, Grav or Joomla?
Grav has the smaller minimum footprint at 256 MB of RAM, compared to about 512 MB for Joomla. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.