What is WonderCMS used for?

WonderCMS is a very small flat-file CMS for simple websites and blogs that runs on five PHP files and stores content in a JSON file instead of a database. It is a good fit for building a small brochure website and running a simple personal blog.

Is WonderCMS open source?

Yes. WonderCMS is open source under the MIT licence. Its source code is on GitHub at WonderCMS/wondercms and is written mainly in PHP.

Yes. WonderCMS is open source, so the software itself is free to use.

Can I self-host WonderCMS?

Yes. WonderCMS can be self-hosted on your own server or infrastructure.

What are some alternatives to WonderCMS?

Similar open-source tools in the CMS category include HTMLy, Microweber and Grav. SaaS products in the same category include Voog, 1FoodMenu and ABHUB.

Is WonderCMS actively maintained?

Yes. The most recent commit to WonderCMS was on 25 August 2026, and the latest release is 3.6.0, published on 31 December 2025. The project has 740 stars on GitHub.

WonderCMS: open-source CMS

About WonderCMS

WonderCMS is a flat-file content management system for building small websites and blogs. It is written in PHP and stores its data in a text file rather than a relational database, so there is no database to configure. Installation is described as unzipping and uploading five files to any server, and the download is roughly 50 KB.

The site lists in-place editing, SEO-friendly output, a responsive design, one-click updates and backups, and a theme and plugin installer. It aims to be fast and lightweight, ships without ads, tracking or powered-by links, and is described as GDPR compliant. The project says it has been free and open source since 2008 and is maintained with the help of many contributors.

WonderCMS is released under the MIT license and is funded by donations, with a monthly goal shown on its homepage. It is a good fit for personal sites, small business pages and blogs where a simple editor matters more than a large plugin ecosystem. Demo, documentation, hosting and requirements pages are available on the project website.

Key features

Runs on five PHP files
JSON file storage with no database
In-place content editing
One-click updates and backups
Theme and plugin installer
No ads, tracking or powered-by links

Good fit for

→Building a small brochure website
→Running a simple personal blog

Built with: PHP
Tags: cms; flat-file; php; blog; lightweight; no-database; website-builder; open-source

WonderCMS: questions and answers

What is WonderCMS used for?: WonderCMS is a very small flat-file CMS for simple websites and blogs that runs on five PHP files and stores content in a JSON file instead of a database. It is a good fit for building a small brochure website and running a simple personal blog.
Is WonderCMS open source?: Yes. WonderCMS is open source under the MIT licence. Its source code is on GitHub at WonderCMS/wondercms and is written mainly in PHP.
Is WonderCMS free?: Yes. WonderCMS is open source, so the software itself is free to use.
Can I self-host WonderCMS?: Yes. WonderCMS can be self-hosted on your own server or infrastructure.
What are some alternatives to WonderCMS?: Similar open-source tools in the CMS category include HTMLy, Microweber and Grav. SaaS products in the same category include Voog, 1FoodMenu and ABHUB.
Is WonderCMS actively maintained?: Yes. The most recent commit to WonderCMS was on 25 August 2026, and the latest release is 3.6.0, published on 31 December 2025. The project has 740 stars on GitHub.