Automad

Automad is a flat-file CMS and website builder that stores all content in human-readable text files instead of a database. This makes it lightweight, portable, and easy to version control with Git. It uses a template engine based on PHP and Twig-like syntax, letting you build custom themes and layouts without heavy dependencies.

The system supports multilingual sites, markdown editing, and a built-in image gallery with lazy loading. It integrates with Gravatar for user avatars and includes a simple role-based user system. Automad runs on any PHP 7.4+ server and works with Apache or Nginx. The admin panel is responsive and lets you manage pages, blocks, and media directly in the browser.

Automad is open source under the MIT license and maintained by Marc Anton Dahmen. It is a good fit for developers who want a database-free CMS for small to medium websites, portfolios, or documentation sites. The project has an active community on GitHub and a documentation site with guides and examples.