Grav vs Pico
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted content management systems options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | Grav | Pico |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 95 · Excellent | 65 · Good |
| Category | Content Management Systems | Content Management Systems |
| License | MIT | MIT |
| Language | PHP | PHP |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 256 MB | 128 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal, source | bare-metal, docker, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 15,671 | ★ 3,905 |
| First released | 2014 | 2012 |
| Replaces | WordPress, Squarespace | WordPress |
What are Grav and Pico?
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
Pico
Pico is a minimal, fast flat-file content management system that uses Markdown files for content and Twig templates for layout. It needs no database and no admin backend.
- No database required
- Markdown content
- Twig templating
- Tiny footprint
Grav vs Pico: key differences
Both projects are written in PHP. Pico is the lighter option, starting around 128 MB of RAM against 256 MB for Grav. Pico is the more established project (first released 2012), while Grav arrived in 2014. Grav has the considerably larger community, at 15,671 GitHub stars versus 3,905.
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 Pico if…
- Extremely lightweight
- Zero configuration to start
Watch out for
- No admin UI by default
- Not for large dynamic sites
Frequently asked questions
Is Grav or Pico 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 Pico free and open-source?
Yes. Grav is licensed under MIT and Pico under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Grav and Pico with Docker?
Grav: yes. Pico: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Grav or Pico?
Pico has the smaller minimum footprint at 128 MB of RAM, compared to about 256 MB for Grav. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.