code.google.com,github.com,sourceforge.netClient side (browser) based CMS. Only static files stored on server. Emphasis on background animation and page transitions.
Technology: Javascript / Apache
Templating: HTML / Bootstrap
Formatting: HTML / Markdown
Open source: yes
Website: https://ajaxcms.org/
A File-Based & Open Source Content Management System.
Technology: PHP
Templating: Built in
Formatting: Markdown
Open source: yes
Website: http://automad.org/
Latest: 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
Create your own Blog in seconds, Fast, Simple, Extensible and Flat-file CMS.
Technology: PHP / JSON
Templating: HTML5 / Css / JavaScript
Formatting: Markdown and HTML
Open source: Yes
Website: http://www.bludit.com
Latest: 0.5 2015-11-01 http://forum.bludit.com/
DodgerCMS is a static markdown CMS built on top of Amazon S3.
Technology: JavaScript
Templating: PureCss
Formatting: Markdown
Open source: yes
Website: http://dodgercms.com/
Dropplets is a minimalist, databaseless Markdown blogging platform.
Technology: PHP
Templating: ??
Formatting: Markdown
Open source: yes
Website: http://dropplets.com/
Fansoro is Modern Open Source File-Based Content Management System.
Technology: PHP
Templating: Fenom
Formatting: Markdown
Open source: yes
Website: http://fansoro.org
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: https://github.com/samthomson/flot/
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/
A fast simple, blog and framework
Technology: Node
Templating: Jade
Formatting: Markdown
Open source: yes
Website: https://hexo.io/
Herbie is a simple, blog-aware, static site generator. Composer support - simple installation - no database - just text files.
Technology: PHP
Templating: Twig
Formatting: Markdown
Open source: yes
Website: https://getherbie.org/
HTMLy is an open source databaseless blogging platform that prioritizes simplicity and speed (Flat-File Blog). HTMLy can be referred to as a Flat-File CMS, since it will also manage your content.
You do not need to use a VPS to run HTMLy, shared hosting or even free hosting should work as long as the host supports at least PHP 5.3.
Technology: PHP
Templating: ???
Formatting: Markdown
Open source: yes
Website: https://demo.htmly.com/
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/
An extremely simple, pluggable static site generator
Technology: Node
Templating: Unopinionated
Formatting: Markdown
Open source: yes
Website: http://www.metalsmith.io/
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 / HTML
Open source: yes
Website: http://monstra.org
Simple, lightweight, beginner-friendly and expandable with plugins
Technology: PHP
Templating: HTML
Formatting: Expandable own syntax
Open source: yes
Website: http://mozilo.de/
Latest: 2.0.49 2016-01-17 https://github.com/mozilo/mozilo2.0/commits/master
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/
Nanote simple flat-file blog script, GPL v.3
Technology: PHP
Templating: HTML
Formatting: HTML
Open source: yes
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 and extendable PHP tool for publishing beautiful websites out of plain text documents
Technology: PHP
Templating: Mustache
Formatting: Markdown
Open source: Yes
Website: http://viaorbiter.com/
Latest: https://github.com/kasparsd/orbiter
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
Flat file CMS
Technology: PHP
Templating: PHP
Formatting: HTML and Markdown
Open source: no
Website: http://www.pulsecms.com/
Latest: 4.5 2015-09-13 http://www.pulsecms.com/blog
puppyCMS - flat file, responsive, seo-friendly, lightweight and tiny CMS.
Technology: PHP
Templating: PHP
Formatting: HTML and Markdown
Open source: yes
Website: http://puppycms.com
Latest: 1.6 http://puppycms.com/download
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/
PHP static site generator / flat file cms
Technology: PHP
Templating: Twig
Formatting: Markdown
Open source: yes
Website: https://sculpin.io
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/
Simple CMS for your HTML website
Technology: PHP
Templating: Nil
Formatting: HTML
Open source: yes
Website: http://sitecake.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, Textile, HTML, Plain Text
Open source: no
Website: http://statamic.com/
Sphido is a rocket fast, simple, lightweight, easy to hack, flat file CMS for PHP. Supports Markdown and HTML content with Latte template engine.
Technology: PHP
Templating: Latte / PHTML
Formatting: Latte / Markdown / HTML
Open source: yes
Website: http://www.sphido.org/
An Open source CMS written in PHP focused on ease of use with true WYSIWYG editing and flat-file storage.
Technology: PHP
Templating: PHP
Formatting: HTML / plain text
Open source: yes
Website: http://www.typesettercms.com
A micro CMS for static websites
Technology: Python
Templating: Jinja
Formatting: Markdown
Open source: yes
Website: http://urubu.jandecaluwe.com/
Simple and tiny PHP flat-file site engine.
Technology: PHP
Templating: HTML / PHP
Formatting: HTML
Open source: yes
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/
No database CMS, plugins, responsive, 100% customizable theme since the administration without HTML/CSS.
Technology: PHP
Templating: HTML / PHP
Formatting: HTML
Open source: yes
Website: http://zwiicms.com/
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!
Below is a list of open source projects and modules that I’ve created that might be of some use to you:
