Flat-file CMS Package Survey

Posted on | by Tim Slagle

I have run multiple WordPress-based websites for school groups and non-profits over the years, and for the most part it works great and is easy to use. However, when I decided to set up my own blog , I quickly became overloaded with the current WP ecosystem. So many commercial themes and page builders to research, and articles like 64 Best Free WordPress Blog Themes for 2022 seem more about generating affiliate payments than helping anyone with reviews. I spent more time trying to understand WordPress themes than it took to install and start using Bludit, but here I am doing it again 🙂

My Criteria

So I wanted to simplify. And I’m cheap. And I don’t really feel like I know what I’m doing with databases like MySQL. So I decided to look for free, blog-oriented, flat-file CMSs (content management systems). As I detailed in my first post, I picked Bludit but I’ve been having problems with losing work so I’m looking around again, with a month of blogging experience to inform my preferences. My criteria:

  • Free and open-source. Don’t want to use the free tier of commercial systems because they can change the terms once I’ve invested a lot into the platform. I’m open to some commercial plugins if the base system is free.
  • Flat-file database. Makes it easier for me to understand and manage, and makes it easier to move to a new platform if needed.
  • Actively maintained with reasonable communities. No guarantees for the future but don’t want to invest in something already dying out.
  • WYSIWYG editor or easy preview. I like the idea of Markdown but still find it awkward to write in and edit – maybe that will change but I want a nice editor for now. Posts should be stored in Markdown or some easy-to-translate format for portability.
  • Web-based admin interface. I can certainly handle command-line stuff but having it on a shared webhost makes that less convenient.
  • Nice looking templates/themes. I am not super design oriented and just need the standard blog layout but many older systems have that early web look to most of their themes.
  • Themes relatively easy to modify. I’m not a CSS expert but I’d like to start with a nice theme and then tweak it to my liking. Some templating systems are easier than others to understand for the non-professional.
  • Good selection of plugins. I want to do all the usual blog stuff but it would be nice to have math equations and image galleries etc. A sign of a healthy community.
  • Suitable for Shared Hosting. Some packages are meant for people that have more control over their servers than I get with NameCheap shared hosting. I can’t do Docker apps or install new major packages or run my own servers. No ASP.net or other non-LAMP stack stuff – way too much to learn.

Researching Options

There are so many choices it is overwhelming. Here are some websites I looked at to find candidates:

Possibilities

Here’s my list with comments added as I research and test them.

  • Aloia CMS – seems pretty bare but does have admin plugin
  • Automad – block editor, in-page editing, has math plugin
  • Bludit – themes look nice and had all the features. Articles are stored in JSON files instead of Markdown but you can edit Markdown if you want. WYSIWYG editor. Some plugins.
  • CMSimple –
  • Flextype
  • Flatpress
  • GetSimple CMS
  • Grav has everything but is getting too complicated – >4000 files to install! Add-ons cost $25-$100. Don’t quite get how it works yet, themes show blog features but don’t look like the demo screens when you install them.
  • HTMLy
  • Mecha CMS –
  • PhileCMS – an active PicoCMS fork, uses Markdown and Twig templates
  • PicoCMS seemed simple and stores content as Markdown files with YAML metadata on top. Themes use twig templating. No admin interface? Markdown only, no WYSIWYG editor?
  • PivotX – development stopped in 2015 but an update for PHP 7+8 was just released. Available on webhost.
  • Typemill – Also create ebooks from content. Visual Markdown editor. math renderer. Twig themes. Small number of useful plugins, small number of okay themes.
  • WonderCMS – single user, very simple

Rejects

These didn’t have important criteria but I’ll list them here to be helpful and so I know why they were rejected when I see them mentioned somewhere.

Uses A Database

Maybe I should be okay with SQLite because I think it is just a file and doesn’t require a database server. However it doesn’t store each post in its own file like the flat-file CMSs.

  • b2evolution – MySQL, has lots of other modules for forum, gallery, multiple blogs, messaging
  • BackBee – MySQL
  • Backdrop CMS – Drupal fork, uses MySQL or MariaDB databases
  • Chyrp and Chyrp Lite – use MySQL or SQLite
  • Wagtail – Written in Python, uses Django (?),SQLite database
  • Known – social publishing engine, MySQL
  • BoltCMS – uses SQLite or MySQL available on Softaculous
  • DotClear – uses SQLite or MySQL, available on Softaculous
  • Serendipity – been around for a long time. Most themes have that older blog look but some newer ones are fine. Seems like development has slowed. Uses MySQL

Commercial Packages

  • PulseCMS – free demo, $297/year
  • BlogStatic – blog+newsletter, free option but newsletter $39/year
  • October – based on Laravel PHP, $19/year per site
  • Kirby – $114/site, no DB, block-based content
  • Statamic – free option, $259 per site

Abandoned or Inactive

  • Nibbleblog – by developer of Bludit, now abandoned
  • Vapid
  • Nura24 – website gone
  • razorCMS – can’t find it
  • feindura – last update 10/24/2014
  • BaunCMS – website down, last update 5 years ago, by author of PicoCMS
  • Monstra – no updates since 2017

Static Website Generators

There are lots of free packages with good-looking themes that seem interesting, but work by generating an HTML tree that you upload to your webhost. I decided I wanted to have the blog based on my server account instead of my local development machine so I can post and edit from anywhere. They also mostly use Markdown files rather than a WYSIWYG document editor, but WYSIWYG Markdown editors exist and could be used.

  • Sphido
  • Jekyll – used by GitHub Pages so offers free hosting; Liquid template engine, Markdown content
  • Hugo – lots of nice themes, written in Go
  • Hexo – Node.js

Other

  • Zimplit CMS – single file, edit in place
  • BaferCMS – not a CMS, is online website editor (?)
  • GilaCMS – Hosted website builder, has free option with 1GB hosting, otherwise $9/mo
  • Create Website Builder – not a CMS, 8.5 pounds/mo
  • Yellow – no admin panel or WYSIWYG editor
  • Mixcore CMS – uses ASP.NET not LAMP