Flat-file PHP CMS and template engine with a block editor and no database
Automad is a flat-file CMS and template engine written in PHP. It stores content as readable text files, has a browser dashboard with a block editor and in-page editing, and can serve content as read-only JSON. It is free to use, and version 2 is still in beta.
Automad keeps content in human-readable text files, so there is no database to run. Templates are processed in pure PHP with no build step. The browser dashboard has a block editor, an in-page edit mode that works while you browse the site, a one-click updater and a package browser for themes. An optional headless mode offers a read-only JSON API. The project dates from 2013 and is maintained by Marc Anton Dahmen.
The current line is version 2, which is still labelled beta (2.0.0-beta.68 is the latest release we saw). The vendor calls Automad free and open source. The repository licence is the O'Saasy licence, which gives MIT-style permissions but bars anyone from offering the software as a hosted product that competes with the licensor. We do not know if it meets the OSI open-source definition, so treat it as free, source-available software with a no-competing-SaaS clause.
Strengths
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What each plan costs and what the bill is counted by: seats, sites, usage or a one-off license. The bottom of each card shows what you pay on top.
Free
Free to use. Sponsorship is optional.
Designers, portfolio owners, small blogs and developers
Costs extra
You bring your own hosting.
Prices checked See current prices on the vendor's site
Free, included in the cheapest plan, on a higher plan, or enterprise only. Open a feature to compare it across every platform.
