Kirby
File-based CMS. Easy to setup. Easy to use. Flexible as hell.
- CMS
- PHP
- Kirby License
- Source-available
- Actively maintained
GitHub stats
- GitHub stars
- 1,535
- Forks
- 189
- Open issues
- 109
- Commits, last 12 months
- 911
- Last commit
- Oct 4, 2026
- Latest release
- 5.6.0Sep 16, 2026
- Created
- Oct 6, 2017
- License
- Kirby License AgreementSource-available
Data from the GitHub API, refreshed daily.
About Kirby
File-based CMS. Easy to setup. Easy to use. Flexible as hell. Kirby is source-available under the Kirby License Agreement and written mainly in PHP, so you can read the code, run it on your own hardware and keep full control of your data.
The project has 1,535 stars and 189 forks on GitHub, with 911 commits over the last year. It installs natively rather than through an official Docker image, so plan for a short manual setup.
Topics
- kirby
- cms
- content-management
- cms-framework
- file-based
- php8
- flat-file
- flat-file-cms
- headless-cms
Repository preview
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What is Kirby?
Kirby is a source-available app you can host on your own server, listed in our CMS category. File-based CMS. Easy to setup. Easy to use. Flexible as hell. The source code lives at github.com/getkirby/kirby, where it has 1,535 stars.
Is Kirby free and open source?
Not by the OSI definition. Kirby is source-available rather than open source: its code is public under the Kirby License Agreement, which is not an OSI-approved open-source license. This is a custom license: the source is public, but it adds conditions that OSI-approved licenses do not, such as limits on commercial, hosted or production use. Read it before you deploy. Check the license in the repository before using it commercially.
Can I run Kirby with Docker?
Kirby does not list an official Docker image. It installs natively (PHP), so follow the install steps in its README or look for a community-maintained container.
What are the best alternatives to Kirby?
Popular self-hosted alternatives to Kirby include Strapi, Payload CMS and WordPress.
Is Kirby actively maintained?
The most recent commit to Kirby was on Oct 4, 2026 with 911 commits in the past twelve months. The latest release is 5.6.0, published Sep 16, 2026. Check the open issues on GitHub to gauge how quickly maintainers respond.