Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

CMS Made Simple VS Grav

Compare CMS Made Simple VS Grav and see what are their differences

CMS Made Simple logo CMS Made Simple

CMS Made Simple - the open source content management system for the rest of us.

Grav logo Grav

The modern open source flat-file CMS
  • CMS Made Simple Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-01-24
  • Grav Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-04-18

CMS Made Simple features and specs

  • User-Friendly Interface
    CMS Made Simple is known for its intuitive and straightforward interface, making it easy for users, even those without technical expertise, to manage website content efficiently.
  • Easy to Install and Configure
    The CMS offers an easy installation process and straightforward configuration, reducing the time and effort needed to get a website up and running.
  • Lightweight and Efficient
    CMS Made Simple is designed to be lightweight, allowing for fast loading times and efficient use of server resources, which can enhance the user experience.
  • Flexible Template System
    The CMS offers a flexible and powerful template system, enabling designers to create unique and customized website designs without a lot of effort.
  • Active Community and Support
    CMS Made Simple has an active community and a range of online resources for support, including forums and documentation, aiding users when they face challenges.

Possible disadvantages of CMS Made Simple

  • Limited Scalability
    CMS Made Simple may not be the best fit for very large or complex websites, as it is designed primarily for simple, smaller-scale projects.
  • Fewer Plugins and Extensions
    Compared to larger CMS platforms, there are fewer plugins and extensions available, potentially limiting functionality for users who need specific features.
  • Learning Curve for Developers
    While user-friendly for content managers, developers may encounter a learning curve when customizing or extending the CMS beyond its basic setup.
  • Performance Issues with Very Large Sites
    For significantly large websites, performance could be an issue, as the CMS is not optimized for handling huge traffic volumes and extensive content.
  • Less Modern Interface
    The administrative interface may not be as modern or attractive compared to some other newer CMS platforms, which might influence user satisfaction.

Grav features and specs

  • Flat-file architecture
    Grav is a flat-file CMS, which means it doesn't rely on a database. It stores content in files and folders, making it easy to manage, version control, and requiring less server resources.
  • Performance
    Without a database layer, Grav can deliver faster load times and better performance, especially critical for high traffic websites.
  • Flexibility and Customization
    Grav is highly customizable with a flexible API that allows developers to build and extend functionalities effortlessly.
  • Ease of Installation and Setup
    Grav boasts a simple setup process. You can get started quickly without complex configurations, making it accessible for both developers and non-developers.
  • Strong Community and Documentation
    Grav has an active community that provides robust support. The extensive documentation helps users get through the learning curve quickly.
  • Security
    Flat-file systems like Grav are typically less vulnerable to common database-related security issues like SQL injection attacks.
  • Themes and Plugins
    Grav offers a variety of themes and plugins that enhance its functionality, allowing users to add new features without extensive coding.

Possible disadvantages of Grav

  • Learning Curve
    Although Grav has good documentation, it can have a steeper learning curve for those unfamiliar with flat-file CMSs or who come from traditional database-driven CMS backgrounds.
  • Not Ideal for Large-scale Projects
    Flat-file systems can become cumbersome to manage as the scale of content grows, making Grav less suitable for large-scale websites with extensive content.
  • Limited Third-party Integrations
    Grav may not have as many third-party integrations available compared to more established CMS platforms like WordPress, potentially limiting its functionality.
  • Hosting Requirements
    While Grav doesn't need a database, it still requires a hosting environment that supports PHP. Some shared hosting services may not offer the ideal settings out-of-the-box.
  • Smaller Ecosystem
    Grav has a smaller user base compared to more established CMSs, which can mean fewer community-created plugins and themes.
  • No Default GUI for Content Editing
    Grav does not natively offer a graphical user interface for content editing, which can be a drawback for non-technical users. Though Admin Panel plugin exists, it is not default.

Analysis of CMS Made Simple

Overall verdict

  • CMS Made Simple is a good choice for small to medium-sized websites, particularly for those who prioritize ease of use and performance. However, for highly complex sites or those requiring extensive customization, other CMS platforms may be more suitable.

Why this product is good

  • Ease of use
    CMS Made Simple is known for its user-friendly interface, which allows users to manage websites without needing extensive technical knowledge.
  • Flexibility
    It offers a modular architecture and a variety of plugins, making it flexible for different types of websites.
  • Performance
    The system is lightweight, which often results in faster loading times and efficient performance.
  • Community support
    There is an active community and a variety of resources available for learning and troubleshooting.

Recommended for

    {"nonprofits" => "Can be a good fit for nonprofits with limited resources but who need a functional web presence.", "small_businesses" => "Ideal for small business owners who need a straightforward, easy-to-manage website.", "individual_projects" => "Suitable for individuals wanting to create personal or hobby sites.", "beginner_web_developers" => "Great for beginner web developers to familiarize themselves with a CMS due to its simplicity and community support."}

Analysis of Grav

Overall verdict

  • Grav is an excellent choice for those who need a fast, flexible, and lightweight CMS without the complexity of a database. It's particularly beneficial for developers who appreciate customizability and control over their project configurations. However, it may not be the best option for non-technical users who require a more traditional CMS experience with extensive support and resources.

Why this product is good

  • Grav is a modern open-source flat-file CMS that is designed for speed, simplicity, and flexibility. It requires no database, which makes it lightweight and significantly easier to deploy. Grav offers a powerful API, integrated package manager, sophisticated caching system, and an intuitive admin panel, making it a strong choice for developers who require customizable and scalable solutions.

Recommended for

  • Developers looking for a fast and flexible CMS.
  • Users who prefer flat-file over traditional database-driven CMSs.
  • Projects where performance and speed are critical.
  • Websites with less complex needs that don't require extensive plugins or themes.

CMS Made Simple videos

CMS Made Simple - Which CMS has the most functionality? Ask Evan

More videos:

  • Review - Adding and Editing Content in Your CMS Made Simple Content Management System
  • Review - CMS Made Simple | Steps for AWS Installation powered by Miri Infotech

Grav videos

GRAV Dugout Review

More videos:

  • Review - Newest GRAV Hand Pipes
  • Review - Upline Collection from GRAV // 420 Science Club

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to CMS Made Simple and Grav)
CMS
12 12%
88% 88
Development
100 100%
0% 0
Blogging
0 0%
100% 100
Tool
100 100%
0% 0

User comments

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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare CMS Made Simple and Grav

CMS Made Simple Reviews

We have no reviews of CMS Made Simple yet.
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Grav Reviews

11 Popular Free And Open Source WordPress CMS alternatives in 2021
It comes with a powerful API and extensive hooks that allow for plugins to extend Grav. Flexible Twig templating allows the easy realization of your designs.
Source: medevel.com
Top 5 Open-Source CMS Platforms
As fascinating as its logo, the Grav CMS platform is another modern, sleek, and interactive cross-platform compatible platform to design and create websites. Not as popular as others in the list, i.e., WordPress, Joomla, and Drupal, this CMS platform is yet a tough competitor of the existing CMS giants. The open-source CMS platform was launched in 2014 and since then the...
Source: linuxways.net
Resources20+ Non-Traditional Tools to Make Your Website
Modern open source flat-file CMS to build faster http://s/. Grav is a fast, simple, and flexible file-based web-platform. There is zero installation required. Grav focuses primarily on your content and turns your content structure into a navigable site.
CMS comparison 2018: The 5 most popular open source systems
Grav places a high value on speed, but doesn’t disregard the aesthetic aspect. On the official website, you can find both the installation data (a small ZIP archive) as well as individual themes that can be used to customize the design. You can also extend the functionality with more than 300 plugins, with which you can set up the backend for administration work, for...
Source: www.1and1.com
Goodbye Statamic. Hello Grav.
Whilst looking for other options, I stumbled upon Grav, which as far as I've been able to tell is incredibly similar to Statamic. It has a really nice admin interface, plugins including search, and best of all it's completely free. The community seems strong, and I've not had too many issues trying to find help. It took me the best part of a day to switch my little site here...

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Grav seems to be more popular. It has been mentiond 54 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

CMS Made Simple mentions (0)

We have not tracked any mentions of CMS Made Simple yet. Tracking of CMS Made Simple recommendations started around Mar 2021.

Grav mentions (54)

  • My blog doesn't need quality, it needs to look like it's from the 90s
    Perhaps "polish" or "a sleek, modern UI" would have been slightly better wording on my part in regards to the look, but otherwise I'm quite happy that I settled on Grav and also the idea of versioning everything in Git, alongside a CI/CD pipeline, instead of one long lived instance on the server. Grav is pretty cool: https://getgrav.org/. - Source: Hacker News / 30 days ago
  • Ask HN: Do you still self-host a blog? What's your publishing stack?
    Is there a particular stack you prefer? If JS, maybe consider Astro (for simple blogs)? It has built-in MDX support and deploys in a few seconds. If PHP, maybe https://getgrav.org/? For Go or a prebuilt binary, maybe https://gohugo.io/? - Source: Hacker News / 2 months ago
  • Matt Mullenweg Asks What Drama to Create in 2025, Community Reacts
    There was a whole rash of them a few years back. I'm not sure if any of them took off or what. https://ghost.org/ https://strapi.io/ https://getgrav.org/ https://craftcms.com/. - Source: Hacker News / 5 months ago
  • Building a Simple Grav CMS Theme with Twig, PHP, and CSS
    But there is a content management system that makes it easier and simpler. And this is especially true for frontend developers. It's Grav CMS. - Source: dev.to / 6 months ago
  • Ask HN: Why hasn't Drupal benefited from WordPress's current issues?
    Good point on the timing, but I really hope Wordpress users aren't migrating to Drupal en masse. Drupal would be a very poor fit for most Wordpress-y sites (simple marketing pages, basic ecommerce, etc.). It's overkill and way too complicated and requires endless maintenance (see my rant in a sibling thread). There are a lot of better, lighter options for people who liked the ease-of-use of Wordpress.... - Source: Hacker News / 8 months ago
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What are some alternatives?

When comparing CMS Made Simple and Grav, you can also consider the following products

Sitecake - Drag and drop CMS for HTML websites. It's flat file CMS so it's pretty fast.

WordPress - WordPress is web software you can use to create a beautiful website or blog. We like to say that WordPress is both free and priceless at the same time.

ClassicPress - The WordPress fork. No Gutenberg. Great future!

Ghost - Ghost is a fully open source, adaptable platform for building and running a modern online publication. We power blogs, magazines and journalists from Zappos to Sky News.

TYPO3 - TYPO3.com - Infos, SLAs, Extended Support Versions and more

Drupal - Drupal - the leading open-source CMS for ambitious digital experiences that reach your audience across multiple channels. Because we all have different needs, Drupal allows you to create a unique space in a world of cookie-cutter solutions.