Best for: Developers and small businesses who want a git-friendly, database-free CMS with a custom templating toolkit for brochure sites and portfolios.
Best for: Organizations needing native multilingual content and granular role-based access control for larger or membership-driven websites.
At a Glance
Automad
Bludit
Joomla!
Primary category
CMS
CMS
CMS
Rating
Not documented
Not documented
Not documented
Pricing model
Free (open source)
Free
Free / Open Source
Starting price
Free
Free
Free
Free plan
Not documented
Not documented
Not documented
Free trial
Not documented
Not documented
Not documented
Platforms
Web
Web
Web
Team collaboration
Not documented
Not documented
Not documented
AI features
Not documented
Not documented
Not documented
Public API
Yes
Not documented
Yes
Standout Differences
No-database, flat-file simplicity
Automad stores content as plain text files and Bludit stores it as JSON, so neither requires configuring or backing up a database server.
Automad, Bludit
Native multilingual content and access control
Joomla includes multilingual content management and role-based access control as built-in features, without needing a third-party plugin.
Joomla!
Privacy-first SEO defaults
Bludit ships with built-in SEO tools and does not track visitor data by default, positioning it as GDPR-compliant out of the box.
Bludit
Large extension marketplace
Joomla's Extensions Directory offers more than 10,000 templates, plugins, modules, and components, far more than either flat-file alternative.
Joomla!
Feature-by-Feature
Architecture
Feature
Automad
Bludit
Joomla!
Database required
Unavailable
Unavailable
Available
Docker deployment support
Not documented
Available
Not documented
Content and Access
Feature
Automad
Bludit
Joomla!
Native multilingual content management
Available
Limited
Available
Role-based access control
Not documented
Not documented
Available
Built-in SEO tooling
Not documented
Available
Available
Extensibility
Feature
Automad
Bludit
Joomla!
Official plugin or extension directory
Not documented
Available
Available
Pricing Compared
Starting price reflects the lowest paid tier, not the full cost for every team size or usage level.
Automad
No individual plan breakdown documented yet.
Bludit
No individual plan breakdown documented yet.
Joomla!
Joomla! Core (Self-Hosted) — Free N/A
Extensions and Templates (Third-Party) — Varies by developer one-time or subscription
Pros & Cons
Automad
Pros
Completely free and open source under the MIT license
No database dependency simplifies hosting, backup, and version control
Lightweight and fast, well-suited to small-to-medium brochure sites
Git-friendly since content lives in plain text files
Cons
Smaller plugin/theme ecosystem than database-driven CMS platforms like WordPress
Flat-file architecture can be less efficient at very large scale with thousands of pages
Requires PHP hosting knowledge to install and maintain
Bludit
Pros
No database required, simplifying installation, backups, and hosting requirements
Free and open source under the permissive MIT license
Lightweight and fast, suitable for standard shared hosting
Built-in SEO tools and privacy-first, no default visitor tracking
Cons
No built-in multi-language admin interface without third-party plugins
Smaller plugin and theme ecosystem compared to WordPress
Flat-file storage can be less efficient than a database at larger content scale
No official company or commercial support; relies on community forums
Joomla!
Pros
Completely free and open source with no licensing cost
Strong native multilingual and access-control features rarely built into competitors by default
Large extension ecosystem covering e-commerce, forums and more
Backed by a stable, long-running nonprofit (Open Source Matters) rather than a single company
Flexible enough for everything from simple blogs to complex membership sites
Cons
Steeper learning curve than WordPress for first-time website builders
Smaller plugin and theme marketplace than WordPress
Requires self-managed hosting, updates and security patching (or a managed Joomla host)
Smaller talent pool of developers/agencies compared to WordPress
Some extensions and premium templates carry separate third-party costs
Use Cases
Choose Automad: Developers and small businesses who want a git-friendly, database-free CMS with a custom templating toolkit for brochure sites and portfolios.
Choose Bludit: Site owners who want a fast, no-database blogging CMS with built-in SEO tools, privacy-first defaults, and a dedicated plugin directory.
Choose Joomla!: Organizations needing native multilingual content and granular role-based access control for larger or membership-driven websites.
Automad
Brochure and portfolio websites — Building simple, fast-loading marketing or portfolio sites without database overhead.
Developer-friendly content sites — Managing content as plain text files for easy Git version control and deployment.
Bludit
Simple personal or small-business blogs — A site owner runs a low-maintenance blog on standard shared hosting without needing to manage a database.
Portfolio and documentation sites — A developer or designer builds a fast-loading portfolio or documentation site using Bludit's flat-file simplicity.
Joomla!
Multilingual organizational websites — Nonprofits and government agencies use Joomla's native multilingual support to publish content in multiple languages without extra plugins.
Membership and access-controlled sites — Organizations use Joomla's role-based access control to restrict content to specific member groups or subscription tiers.
Agency-built custom web applications — Web development agencies extend Joomla's core with custom components to build tailored web applications for clients.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which of these three requires a MySQL database?
Joomla. Automad and Bludit are both flat-file CMS platforms that avoid a database entirely.
Which has native multilingual support built in without a plugin?
Joomla has native multilingual content management out of the box, and Automad supports multilingual sites at the content level; Bludit needs a third-party plugin for interface language switching.
Which is easiest to deploy on minimal shared hosting?
Automad or Bludit, since neither needs a database server, keeping hosting requirements to standard PHP.
Which has the largest extension or plugin ecosystem?
Joomla, with more than 10,000 extensions and templates available through the Joomla Extensions Directory.
Does Bludit track visitor data by default?
No, Bludit is described by its maintainers as privacy-first, tracking no visitor data by default and positioned as GDPR-compliant.
Which is better suited to a membership-driven or access-controlled site?
Joomla, due to its granular, built-in role-based access control system.