SHSelfHostIndex

Grav vs Squidex

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 SQ Squidex Headless CMS, based on MongoDB, CQRS and Event Sourcing
FeatureGravSquidex
CategoryContent Management SystemsContent Management Systems
LicenseMITMIT
LanguagePHPC#
Setup difficultyEasyMedium
Min. RAM256 MB512 MB
Deploymentdocker, bare-metal, sourcebare-metal
GitHub stars★ 15,620★ 2,509
First released20142026
ReplacesWordPress, Squarespace—

Why pick each one

Choose Grav if…

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

Choose Squidex if…

  • Released under the MIT license
  • Active community (2.5k GitHub stars)
  • Written in C#
  • Lightweight — runs in 512 MB RAM
Squidex details

Frequently asked questions

Is Grav or Squidex better?

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

Are Grav and Squidex free and open-source?

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

Can I run Grav and Squidex with Docker?

Grav: yes. Squidex: check the project docs for container support.

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