Grav vs Winter CMS
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
Winter CMS
Laravel-based CMS focused on simplicity and stability
| Feature | Grav | Winter CMS |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 95 · Excellent | 84 · Excellent |
| Category | Content Management Systems | Content Management Systems |
| License | MIT | MIT |
| 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 | ★ 1,520 |
| First released | 2014 | 2021 |
| Replaces | WordPress, Squarespace | WordPress |
What are Grav and Winter CMS?
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
Winter CMS
Winter CMS is a free, open-source content management system based on the Laravel framework, created as a community-driven fork of October CMS. It offers a clean backend, a plugin marketplace, and developer-friendly tooling.
- Laravel foundation
- Plugin marketplace
- Clean admin backend
- Developer tooling
Grav vs Winter CMS: key differences
Both projects are written in PHP. Grav is the lighter option, starting around 256 MB of RAM against 512 MB for Winter CMS. Grav is the more established project (first released 2014), while Winter CMS arrived in 2021. Grav has the considerably larger community, at 15,671 GitHub stars versus 1,520.
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 Winter CMS if…
- Released under the MIT license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Active community (1.5k GitHub stars)
- Written in PHP
Watch out for
- Requires PHP knowledge
- Smaller plugin catalog
Frequently asked questions
Is Grav or Winter CMS better?
Grav is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider Winter CMS if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are Grav and Winter CMS free and open-source?
Yes. Grav is licensed under MIT and Winter CMS under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Grav and Winter CMS with Docker?
Grav: yes. Winter CMS: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Grav or Winter CMS?
Grav has the smaller minimum footprint at 256 MB of RAM, compared to about 512 MB for Winter CMS. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.