Lot’s of folk are leaving Wordpress for a flat file CMS system with no database. Wordpress was built as a simple blogging platform and has evolved over the years into a feature rich CMS. Lot’s of these features aren’t needed by folk who merely want to blog without the bloat. We respect Wordpress and it will always be there, this small project simply aims to give people out there a chance to work with Flat File CMS’s also known as file–based CMS’s.
We’re not talking about static site generators here, text of XML driven file CMS’s.
Without a database the flat-file CMS stores content in files and folders unlike a traditional database. This means you don’t have to query any database of any kind in your system —there is no database. The flat-file system generates dynamic pages and each blog post or page is simply in a folder of its own (depending on the system and how you structure it). There are several ways to populate and parse content, xml and markdown being the most popular.
There are certain advantages of not using a database like:
- Simplicity
- Speed
- Security
- Version Control
- Maintenance
- Portability
- Less expense (server)
Some people will argue that these flat-file CMS systems aren’t real content management systems. Whilst they do let you manage your content they aren’t full blown as they don’t let you authentication/authorization. The argument is a full blown CMS should somehow be able to grant and deny create/read/update/delete access and permissions to users.
This can be a debatable topic, and this small project’s aim to is to introduce you to these Flat-File CMS’s. If you’re new to the game then it’s advantageous to seeing different views.
Personally, I am all for Flat-File CMS’s for personal blogs. View them below in alphabetical order:
A File-Based & Open Source Content Management System.
Technology: PHP
Templating: Built in
Formatting: Markdown
Open source: yes
Website: http://automad.org/
Latest: 0.9.103 2015-01-25 http://automad.org/release_notes
A modern, lightweight, extensible CMS for PHP.
Technology: PHP
Templating: Twig
Formatting: Markdown
Open source: yes
Website: http://bauncms.com
Dropplets is a minimalist, databaseless Markdown blogging platform.
Technology: PHP
Templating: ??
Formatting: Markdown
Open source: yes
Website: http://dropplets.com/
Flat File CMS for designers
Technology: PHP
Templating: PHP
Formatting: HTML / Text / Markdown
Open source: yes
Website: http://feindura.org/
FlatPress is a blogging engine that saves your posts as simple text files.
Technology: PHP
Templating: Smarty
Formatting: Text
Open source: yes
Website: http://flatpress.org/home/
no database CMS, written in PHP, supports themes, soon plugins, and flexible taxonomies (data types). Hybrid static/dynamic CMS that’s cached by default. Runs on anything with PHP. Still being developed, but has a good base of features.
Technology: PHP
Templating: HTML (optionally, add PHP)
Formatting: HTML with WYSIWYG editor
Open source: yes
Website: http://flotcms.com
GetSimple is an XML based, stand-a-alone, fully independant and lite Content Management System.
Technology: PHP / XML
Templating: HTML, PHP
Formatting: HTML / WYSIWYG editor
Open source: yes
Website: http://get-simple.info/
In a nutshell, installing Grav is a matter of unzipping the file. It is fast, has sophisticated caching, and a light footprint for optimal performance.
Technology: PHP / YAML
Templating: Twig
Formatting: Markdown
Open source: yes
Website: http://getgrav.org/
Herbie is a CMS and blog system based on simple text files. Composer support - simple installation - no database - just text files.
Technology: PHP / YAML / Symfony Components
Templating: Twig
Formatting: Markdown / Textile
Open source: yes
Website: http://getherbie.org/
Hugo is a general-purpose website framework. Technically speaking, Hugo is a static site generator.
Technology: Go
Templating: Go Templates
Formatting: Markdown
Open source: yes
Website: http://gohugo.io/
Transform your plain text into static websites and blogs.
Technology: Ruby
Templating: Liquid
Formatting: Markdown
Open source: yes
Website: http://jekyllrb.com/
Kirby is a file-based CMS. Easy to setup, easy to use, flexible as hell
Technology: PHP
Templating: Roll your own
Formatting: Markdown
Open source: yes
Website: http://getkirby.com/
Mecha is a file–based CMS. It does not require any database. Almost all files are stored as plain text files which grouped into folders, which you can even edit it manually through a plain text editor application.
Technology: PHP
Templating: PHP
Formatting: Markdown / Markdown Extra / HTML
Open source: yes
Website: http://mecha-cms.com/
An entirely new kind of CMS. Pack up your content, markup, and style. Leave the database behind. Making websites just got fun again.
Technology: PHP
Templating: Built in
Formatting: Markdown
Open source: yes
Website: http://monstra.org/
Middleman is a static site generator using all the shortcuts and tools in modern web development
Technology: Ruby
Templating: Multiple
Formatting: Markdown
Open source: yes
Website: http://middlemanapp.com/
A Ruby CMS for developers and designers. With simple code that’s easy to follow, Nesta is easily extended using the Sinatra web framework.
Technology: Ruby / Sinatra
Templating: Haml, Erb, Erubis, Liquid, Sass, Scss and Less
Formatting: Markdown, Textile or Haml
Open source: yes
Website: http://nestacms.com/
Easy, fast and free Blog system
Technology: PHP
Templating: PHP
Open source: Yes
Website: http://www.nibbleblog.com/
Latest: 4.03 2014-04-01 http://blog.nibbleblog.com/post/nibbleblog-v4.0.3-coffee/
Simple CMS for developers, designers and clients with admininistration panel.
Technology: PHP
Templating: PHP
Formatting: Markdown (html if needed)
Open source: yes
Website: https://github.com/BafS/parvula
PluXML is a free, open-source, self-hosted CMS platform where data are stored by using XML files. This system is used to be a blog one, but pages feature allows to code some php inside the backend. Many plugins extend its functionnalities.
Technology: PHP / XML
Templating: PHP
Formatting: HTML, Text
Open source: yes
Website: http://www.pluxml.org/
A Markdown File Based CMS
Technology: PHP
Templating: Twig
Formatting: Markdown
Open source: yes
Website: http://philecms.github.io/Phile/
A stupidly simple & blazing fast, flat file CMS.
Technology: PHP
Templating: Twig
Formatting: Markdown
Open source: yes
Website: http://pico.dev7studios.com/index.html
Small, Simple Content Managment
Technology: PHP
Templating: PHP
Open source: [yes]
Website: http://www.pluck-cms.org/
Latest: 4.7.3 2014-12-08 https://github.com/pluck-cms/pluck/releases
razorCMS is a File Based Content Management System. All data in razorCMS is stored in flat files, and uses a “database” engine called razorDB.
Technology: PHP
Templating: ???
Formatting: Text
Open source: yes
Website: http://www.razorcms.co.uk/
A CMS in a Single PHP File
Technology: PHP
Templating: Nil
Formatting: Markdown
Open source: yes
Website: http://christophersu.net/2012/singularity-cms-single-php-file/
An entirely new kind of CMS. Pack up your content, markup, and style. Leave the database behind. Making websites just got fun again.
Technology: PHP
Templating: Built in
Formatting: Markdown, Textile, HTML, Plain Text
Open source: no
Website: http://statamic.com/
Vestibulum is deathly simple, ultra fast, flat file (Markdown, HTML) CMS. Fully customizable with Twig templates
Technology: PHP
Templating: Twig / HTML / PHP
Formatting: Markdown / HTML
Open source: yes
Website: http://vestibulum.omdesign.cz/
Flexible, minimalistic, multi-platform static site generator built on top of node.js.
Technology: Node.js
Templating: Jade
Formatting: Markdown
Open source: yes
Website: http://wintersmith.io/
WonderCMS is a simple, secure flat file CMS
Technology: PHP and jQuery
Templating: PHP
Formatting: HTML
Open source: yes
Website: http://wondercms.com/
Yellow is for people who make websites.
Technology: PHP
Templating: HTML / PHP
Formatting: Markdown
Open source: yes
Website: http://datenstrom.se/yellow/
Help grow this list — awesome! Ensure you list a system which is classified as a CMS as opposed to just a static site generator. Thanks for your help!