Automad and Bolt CMS are both free, MIT-licensed, developer-oriented PHP platforms built around simplicity, but Automad drops the database entirely in favor…
Best for: Teams needing native multilingual content, role-based access control, and a large extension ecosystem for bigger or membership-based sites.
At a Glance
Automad
Bolt CMS
Joomla!
Primary category
CMS
CMS
CMS
Rating
Not documented
Not documented
Not documented
Pricing model
Free (open source)
Free/Open Source
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
Not documented
Web
Team collaboration
Not documented
Not documented
Not documented
AI features
Not documented
Not documented
Not documented
Public API
Yes
Yes
Yes
Standout Differences
Database-free deployment
Automad stores all content as plain text files, avoiding the database setup, backup, and maintenance that Bolt CMS and Joomla both require.
Automad
Headless option via API-Platform
Bolt CMS can run as a traditional server-rendered CMS or as a headless, API-driven backend through API-Platform, giving developers flexibility Automad does not document.
Bolt CMS
Native multilingual content and access control
Joomla includes native multilingual content management and role-based access control as core features, without a third-party plugin.
Joomla!
Large extension marketplace
Joomla's Extensions Directory offers more than 10,000 templates, plugins, modules, and components.
Joomla!
Feature-by-Feature
Architecture
Feature
Automad
Bolt CMS
Joomla!
Database required
Unavailable
Available
Available
Headless or API-first mode
Not documented
Available
Available
Content and Access
Feature
Automad
Bolt CMS
Joomla!
Native multilingual content management
Available
Not documented
Available
Role-based access control
Not documented
Not documented
Available
Ecosystem
Feature
Automad
Bolt CMS
Joomla!
Official plugin or extension marketplace
Not documented
Limited
Available
Self-hosted only, with no vendor SaaS tier
Available
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.
Bolt CMS
Open Source / Self-Hosted — Free one-time (self-hosted)
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
Bolt CMS
Pros
Completely free and open source under the MIT license
Lightweight compared to larger PHP CMS platforms
Flexible headless/decoupled mode via API-Platform
Built on well-known Symfony and Twig components familiar to PHP developers
Cons
No official hosted/SaaS version; requires self-hosting and server management
Smaller plugin/theme ecosystem than WordPress or Drupal
No dedicated commercial support plan; relies on community help
Requires PHP and Symfony familiarity to extend effectively
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 who want a lightweight, database-free CMS built around plain text files and a custom templating toolkit.
Choose Bolt CMS: Developers comfortable with Symfony and Twig who want the option to run a traditional or headless, API-driven CMS.
Choose Joomla!: Teams needing native multilingual content, role-based access control, and a large extension ecosystem for bigger or membership-based sites.
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.
Bolt CMS
Agency-built marketing sites — Web agencies use Bolt to build and maintain lightweight, content-driven client websites.
Headless content backend — Developers pair Bolt's headless mode with a separate frontend framework for a decoupled architecture.
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 can run as a headless CMS?
Bolt CMS, via API-Platform, and Joomla, via its Web Services API; Automad does not document a headless mode.
Which requires no database at all?
Automad, which stores content entirely as plain text files.
Which is built on Symfony and Twig?
Bolt CMS, which evolved from Silex to the Symfony framework and uses Twig for templating.
Which has native multilingual content management without a plugin?
Joomla, and Automad also supports multilingual sites; Bolt CMS's multilingual editor covers the admin interface language rather than documented native multilingual content.
Which has the largest extension marketplace?
Joomla, with over 10,000 extensions and templates available through the Joomla Extensions Directory.
Are all three free to use?
Yes. Automad and Bolt CMS are MIT licensed and Joomla is GPL licensed, and all three are self-hosted with no mandatory vendor fees.