Grav vs OJS
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?
| Feature | Grav | OJS |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Content Management Systems | Content Management Systems |
| License | MIT | GPL-3.0-only |
| Language | PHP | PHP |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 256 MB | 50 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal, source | bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 15,620 | ★ 1,025 |
| First released | 2014 | 2024 |
| Replaces | WordPress, Squarespace | — |
Why pick each one
Choose OJS if…
- Released under the GPL-3.0-only license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- Active community (1k GitHub stars)
- Written in PHP
Frequently asked questions
Is Grav or OJS 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 Grav and OJS free and open-source?
Yes. Grav is licensed under MIT and OJS under GPL-3.0-only. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Grav and OJS with Docker?
Grav: yes. OJS: check the project docs for container support.