HTMLy

Free plan LinuxSelf-hostedWeb

What HTMLy is

HTMLy is a free, open-source PHP blogging platform and flat-file content management system that works without a database. It supports web-based and filesystem-based content management, with browsing by date, content type, category, tag, or author. The platform includes archives, categories, tags, a sitemap, popular-post listings, scheduled posts, custom fields, full-text search, a menu editor, two-factor authentication, and one-click updates. Themes can be customized with code, and the site lists themes such as Casper, Clean Blog, Doks, Fairy, Gridzone, Ignite, Independent Publisher, Journal, Moth, Occasio, Papermod, and Vapor. Themes must be uploaded and extracted manually. HTMLy runs on Linux, the web, and self-hosted setups. Hosting requires a web server, PHP 7.2 or higher, and specified PHP packages. Shared or free hosting may work, and a VPS is not required. The site says it can remain fast with ten thousand posts and hundreds of tags.

Who it suits

HTMLy suits people seeking a free, open-source blogging platform for Linux, web, or self-hosted use. It is intended for sites whose hosting supports PHP 7.2 or higher and the required packages.

What it does well

Free and open-source
Database-free flat-file content management
Scheduled posts and full-text search
Web and filesystem content management
Two-factor authentication and one-click updates

What to know first

Requires PHP 7.2 or higher
Several PHP packages are required
Themes require manual upload and extraction
No free trial is listed

Plans

Plan	Billed and limits	Price
HTMLy	Open-source PHP blogging platform; requires PHP 7.2 or higher and specified PHP packages	Free

As htmly.com lists them, read 12 Oct 2026. The maker's own page has the final word.

Verdict

HTMLy combines flat-file publishing with scheduling, search, custom fields, and multiple content-management methods. Check hosting requirements and be prepared to install themes manually.

Facts from HTMLy's own pages

Authentication and spam protection: The v2.9.9 release notes list per-user TOTP multi-factor authentication and Cloudflare Turnstile as an alternative to Google reCAPTCHA. · htmly.com, 12 Oct 2026
Built-in features: Listed features include archives, categories, tags, sitemap, popular posts, scheduled posts, custom fields, two-factor authentication, a menu editor, full-text search, and one-click updates. · htmly.com, 12 Oct 2026
Content browsing: It can find or list content by date, type, category, tag, or author. · htmly.com, 12 Oct 2026
Content management: HTMLy supports both web-based and filesystem-based content management. · htmly.com, 12 Oct 2026
Hosting: The documentation says shared or free hosting can work if the host supports PHP 7.2 or higher, and that a VPS is not required. · docs.htmly.com, 12 Oct 2026
Maintainer: DanPros identifies danpros as HTMLy's founder and maintainer. · danpros.com, 12 Oct 2026
Privacy: The v3.1.0 release notes say local sources for fonts and other assets were added for GDPR compliance in the dashboard/admin area and included themes. · htmly.com, 12 Oct 2026
Product: HTMLy is an open-source, database-free PHP blogging platform and flat-file CMS. · htmly.com, 12 Oct 2026
Requirements: Requirements include a web server, PHP 7.2 or higher, and PHP-XML, PHP-ZIP, PHP-INTL, PHP-Mbstring, and PHP-GD packages. · docs.htmly.com, 12 Oct 2026
Scale: The site says HTMLy can remain fast with ten thousand posts and hundreds of tags. · htmly.com, 12 Oct 2026
Post scheduling: Yes · htmly.com, 21 Sept 2026
Security: The homepage says new features are added to the core and go through a security audit. · htmly.com, 12 Oct 2026
Support: The site links to documentation and a GitHub forum, and invites users to support development through GitHub, Ko-fi, Patreon, or PayPal. · htmly.com, 12 Oct 2026
Theme customization: custom code · htmly.com, 21 Sept 2026
Themes: The site lists themes including Casper, Clean Blog, Doks, Fairy, Gridzone, Ignite, Independent Publisher, Journal, Moth, Occasio, Papermod, and Vapor; themes must be uploaded and extracted manually. · htmly.com, 12 Oct 2026