Grav vs Pagekit
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
Pagekit
Archived
Modular and lightweight CMS with a modern interface
| Feature | Grav | Pagekit |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 95 · Excellent | 15 · At risk |
| Status | Actively maintained | Archived |
| Category | Content Management Systems | Content Management Systems |
| License | MIT | MIT |
| Language | PHP | PHP |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 256 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal, source | docker, bare-metal, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 15,671 | ★ 5,454 |
| First released | 2014 | 2014 |
| Replaces | WordPress, Squarespace | WordPress |
What are Grav and Pagekit?
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
Pagekit
Pagekit is a modular, open-source content management system with a clean, modern interface built on Symfony components and Vue.js. It includes a blog and a marketplace for extensions.
- Modern Vue.js interface
- Modular architecture
- Built-in blog
- Marketplace for extensions
Grav vs Pagekit: key differences
The biggest difference is maintenance: Pagekit's repository is archived and no longer developed, while Grav is actively maintained. Both projects are written in PHP. Grav has the considerably larger community, at 15,671 GitHub stars versus 5,454.
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 Pagekit if…
- Clean, modern admin
- Lightweight
Watch out for
- Development has stalled
- Limited active maintenance
Frequently asked questions
Is Grav or Pagekit 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 Pagekit free and open-source?
Yes. Grav is licensed under MIT and Pagekit under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Grav and Pagekit with Docker?
Grav: yes. Pagekit: yes.