Craft CMS and Grav sit at opposite ends of the cost and architecture spectrum: Grav is completely free and MIT-licensed, stores content as Markdown and YAML…
| Craft CMS | Grav | |
|---|---|---|
| Primary category | CMS | CMS |
| Rating | Not documented | Not documented |
| Pricing model | Freemium / One-time license + subscription (Craft Cloud) | Open Source (free core; paid premium themes and plugins) |
| Starting price | Free (Solo); Team from $279, Pro from $399 | Free |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | Not documented | Not documented |
| Platforms | Web | Web |
| Team collaboration | Not documented | Not documented |
| AI features | Not documented | Not documented |
| Public API | Yes | Yes |
License & Cost Model
Craft CMS: Craft CMS requires paid Team ($279/project) or Pro ($399/project) licenses for multi-user teams under a proprietary Pixel & Tonic license; only the single-user Solo edition is free.
Grav: Grav's core is completely free and MIT-licensed with no per-project licensing fees, only optional premium themes/plugins starting at $50.
Ongoing license cost adds up across a portfolio of client sites, especially for agencies running many projects.
Content Storage Architecture
Craft CMS: Craft CMS is database-driven, using Twig templates or GraphQL to render and query that database.
Grav: Grav stores content as Markdown and YAML files with no database required, making it Git-version-controllable.
A no-database architecture simplifies hosting, backup, and version control for developers who prefer file-based workflows.
AI Agent Integration
Craft CMS: Craft CMS's facts don't document an MCP server or equivalent AI-agent protocol.
Grav: Grav includes a built-in Model Context Protocol (MCP) server, allowing AI agents to interact directly with a Grav site.
Native MCP support lets AI coding agents and assistants interact with the CMS without custom integration work.
Managed Hosting
Craft CMS: Craft CMS offers first-party Craft Cloud hosting with push-to-deploy and a global CDN, from $120/month per project.
Grav: Grav has no official managed hosting or cloud plan — self-hosting is required.
First-party hosting removes the need to separately source infrastructure, at an added monthly cost.
Admin Interface Technology
Craft CMS: Craft's control panel is described with Live Preview and an image editor, and the admin UI is translated into 25 languages.
Grav: Grav ships a SvelteKit 5 and Tailwind 4 admin panel with instant SPA navigation and real-time collaborative editing.
Admin UI technology and language coverage affect editor experience and international team collaboration.
| Feature | Craft CMS | Grav |
|---|---|---|
| Flat-file (no database) content storage | Not documented | Available |
| Git-version-controllable content | Not documented | Available |
| GraphQL API | Available | Not documented |
| Built-in MCP server for AI agents | Not documented | Available |
| Feature | Craft CMS | Grav |
|---|---|---|
| Modern JS-framework admin panel | Not documented | Available |
| Multi-language interface support | Available | Available |
| Real-time collaborative editing | Not documented | Available |
| Content versioning & scheduling | Available | Not documented |
| Feature | Craft CMS | Grav |
|---|---|---|
| Completely free for multi-user teams | Unavailable | Available |
| First-party managed cloud hosting | Available | Unavailable |
| E-commerce companion product | Available | Not documented |
| Premium theme/plugin marketplace | Available | Available |
Starting price reflects the lowest paid tier, not the full cost for every team size or usage level.
Pros
Cons
Pros
Cons
Grav's MIT-licensed core is free for unlimited use by any size team. Craft's free Solo edition is capped at one user account, so teams need a paid Team ($279/project) or Pro ($399/project) license.
Grav documents a built-in MCP (Model Context Protocol) server for AI agents. Craft CMS's facts don't mention MCP or a comparable AI-agent protocol.
Grav needs no database — content is stored as Markdown and YAML files. Craft CMS is database-driven, querying content via Twig templates or GraphQL.
Craft Cloud provides managed, push-to-deploy hosting starting at $120/month per project. Grav requires self-hosting, with no official managed hosting or cloud plan documented.
Grav's admin uses SvelteKit 5 and Tailwind 4 with real-time collaborative editing. Craft's control panel doesn't document a comparable modern JS framework but does offer a 25-language translated interface.
Grav cites Microsoft, Xbox, Cisco, and the USDA as users on its site. Craft CMS cites 150,000+ sites created and 240 partner agencies without naming specific enterprise clients in the available facts.