Digital
Markdown files are the database
One post = one .md file with frontmatter. No MySQL, no SQLite, no database setup. Backups are a folder copy.
Open-source project
Nano CMS
A flat-file PHP blog engine for adding SEO blog content to existing static HTML sites. No database, no framework, no scope creep, just Markdown files, hand-written PHP, and a portable admin you upload only when you need it.
The problem Nano CMS solves
Many client websites should stay as fast, simple static HTML, but still need a steady stream of fresh blog content for search ranking. Nano CMS exists for that exact gap. Rather than rebuilding a perfectly good static site as a WordPress installation, inheriting a database, plugin updates, brute-force attempts, and a permanent admin panel for the sake of four blog posts a year, Nano CMS slots a small blog engine into an existing static site with minimal disruption. It's deliberately not a general-purpose CMS: it does one thing, serve a blog with strong SEO output, and tries to do it well in as little code as possible.
How it works
Frontend lives in the site
The reader-facing code renders posts, builds indexes, and generates a sitemap, RSS feed, and full SEO metadata on every page.
Admin is portable, not permanent
Upload the admin folder via SFTP when you publish, remove it afterwards. No persistent admin means a drastically smaller attack surface.
Secrets live outside webroot
The password hash, settings, and rate-limit state sit in JSON files above the public folder, structurally unreachable via HTTP.
No frameworks, no build step
No Bootstrap, Tailwind, React, jQuery, or webpack. Hand-written PHP, scoped CSS, minimal vanilla JS, small enough to read in one sitting.
Inherits the host site's CSS
Posts share the existing site's stylesheet so the blog matches the design, with a neutral nano.css default if the host is unstyled.
0
Database tables
PHP 8.1+
Runtime
MIT
Licence
0
Build steps
Free under MIT, paid licence removes the footer
Single domain
£29 one-time
- One licensed domain
- Footer attribution removed
- Perpetual, never expires
- Ed25519 verification
- Localhost / dev domains free
Best for small studios
Agency 3-pack
£69 one-time
- Three licensed domains
- £23 per site
- Manage a client portfolio cleanly
- Perpetual, never expires
Best value
Agency unlimited
£249 one-time
- Unlimited domains, one agency
- All current and future projects
- Perpetual, never expires
- Best value for active studios
Try Nano CMS
It's free under MIT. Grab it from GitHub, or buy a licence to remove the footer attribution.
Visit nanocms.co.uk