TimberSimple
One folder. JSON files instead of MySQL. Back up by copying a directory. Move hosts by copying a directory.
Open source · PHP · No database · v1
A simpler, faster, fuller
website CMS.
Timber is a WordPress alternative made by indies, for indies. Pages, posts, forms, SEO, privacy tools, email and a visual Playground — built in, in plain PHP. No database. No build step.
Free & open source. PHP 8.1+ · runs on localhost and just about any PHP server.
How easy is it?
Download. Unzip. Upload. Done.
No database to create, no installer to fight, no toolchain to learn. If your server runs PHP, it runs Timber.
- Download the zipOne file, about 0.8 MB. Everything is inside, including the docs.
- Unzip & read the READMEA one-page summary of everything you need.
- Drag it onto your serverFTP, your host's file manager, or commit it and deploy with Git.
- Open your siteAnswer three questions and you're editing a working site.
# or, on your own computer
unzip timber-v1.zip && cd timber-v1
php -S localhost:8430 router.php # then open http://localhost:8430
unzip timber-v1.zip && cd timber-v1
php -S localhost:8430 router.php # then open http://localhost:8430
0databases to set up
0build steps
~1.7 MBwhole CMS, unzipped
1 minupload to editing
Why Timber?
Most websites are small. Their CMS should be too.
You want a real admin — without a database server, a plugin for every feature, or a build pipeline. Timber starts from the least machinery that gives a small site a proper CMS.
Fast
Server-rendered pages, system fonts, no third-party requests, and roughly 50–60 KB gzipped for a starter page, before images.
Fuller
Forms, SEO, redirects, cookie consent, email, maintenance mode, a media library and a code editor — the things you'd install five plugins for.
| WordPress | Timber | |
|---|---|---|
| Storage | MySQL / MariaDB | JSON files — no database |
| Install | Database, credentials, config, installer | Upload, open, answer three questions |
| Forms, SEO, redirects, cookie consent | Plugins | Built in |
| Back up & move | Database dump + files | Copy the folder |
| Try a redesign | Staging site or plugin | The Playground: private versions |
Honest about trade-offs: for big editorial teams, e-commerce or plugin-heavy sites, WordPress is still the better fit. Read the fair comparison →
Looks great out of the box
Three designs. One click to switch.
Run several designs of your site side by side in the Playground, share a private preview link, then press Make live. Same pages, posts and menus — different look.
Built in, not bolted on
Everything a small site needs.
Designed to work together, so forms feed the inbox, the inbox feeds email, and SEO feeds the sitemap.
Pages & posts
Four editors — Simple, HTML, Coder, Builder — plus drafts, scheduling and device previews.
Forms & inbox
Multi-step, conditional logic, file uploads, spam protection, autoresponders and webhooks.
SEO
Titles, Open Graph, JSON-LD, sitemap, robots, RSS and 301 redirects. No plugin.
Privacy
Cookie banner with Google Consent Mode v2, consent log and a data-request form.
Users & roles
Administrators, editors who manage posts, and read-only viewers.
PHP mail, SMTP, Gmail or Brevo, with branded templates and a sent log.
Menus & Blocks
Dropdowns, mega menus, reusable HTML, global CSS and custom headers and footers.
Media & files
A media library, a file manager and a Monaco code editor — all in the browser.
A real admin
Edit with a live preview, not a settings page.
Every headline, image and section of your design is a field. Reorder by dragging, hide what you don't need, and watch phone, tablet and desktop previews update.
- Playground — compare two designs side by side with synced scrolling
- Share a private link with a client before anything goes live
- One-click backups — your whole site exports as a zip
Coming from WordPress?
Bring your content and your look.
The built-in migrator wizard imports your export file and reads your old site's colours, fonts and logo to build a matching theme — as a private version, so nothing goes live until you say so.
- Posts, pages, menus and images imported, with 301 redirects from your old URLs
- Upload an export — plus a theme zip, a saved homepage or just your address
- Undo the whole import with one click
Live demo
Look around a real Timber.
A running deployment with a read-only account. Click through the dashboard, the Playground, forms, SEO and settings — nothing can be changed, so poke at anything.
Password
read-the-docsRead-only role · try /demo/v/v1/ and /demo/v/v2/ for the other designs once signed in.
Administrator
Does everything
Content, design, settings, tools and users.
Editor
Manages posts
Writes and publishes posts and uploads media. Nothing else.
Read-only
Just looks
Sees the admin; every change is switched off. That's the demo login.
Ready?
Get Timber v1. Be live in a minute.
Open source, free, and yours to host anywhere. The zip includes the app, three themes and the full documentation.
Requires PHP 8.1+. No database. See requirements · Why PHP in 2026?