No Database, No Drama
Content stored as files, not hidden in a database.
If you are coming from WordPress, Joomla, Drupal, or other traditional content management systems, Kirby may feel refreshingly simple.
Kirby is a file-based CMS that stores your content directly in plain text files instead of a database. This approach makes websites easier to manage, faster to deploy, and less prone to many of the issues commonly associated with database-driven systems.
Whether you're building a personal website, a company site, a documentation portal, a portfolio, or a large content-driven project, Kirby gives you complete control without getting in your way.
Blazing Fast by Design
Less overhead, better performance.
Kirby's file-based approach removes the need for constant database queries, reducing overhead and allowing pages to be generated with remarkable efficiency. With fewer moving parts and a lean core, Kirby can deliver exceptional performance even on modest hosting environments.
The benefits are immediate: faster page loads, lower server requirements, improved user experience, and a strong foundation for technical SEO.
Built for speed. Designed for efficiency. Ready to scale.
Security Through Simplicity
Fewer moving parts, fewer potential problems.
Kirby takes a refreshingly straightforward approach to security. By eliminating the need for a database and avoiding unnecessary complexity, it reduces many of the potential attack vectors commonly found in traditional CMS platforms.
Its lightweight core, transparent file-based structure, and modern security practices create a solid foundation that is both powerful and easy to maintain. With fewer moving parts behind the scenes, you can spend less time worrying about vulnerabilities and more time focusing on your content and business.
Built to be secure by design—not secured as an afterthought.
Built for Developers
Straightforward PHP. Complete freedom.
Kirby embraces a refreshingly simple development experience. There are no proprietary templating languages, complex abstractions, or opinionated frameworks standing between you and your code. Templates are written in plain PHP, making them easy to understand, customize, and maintain.
Whether you're creating custom content models, building APIs, extending the Panel, developing plugins, or integrating third-party services, Kirby provides powerful tools without unnecessary complexity.
Its flexible architecture adapts to projects of every size—from simple websites to highly customized applications—while remaining approachable and enjoyable to work with.
Freedom to build things your way, using skills you already have.
Flexible Content Modeling
Build exactly what your project needs.
Most CMS platforms expect your content to fit predefined patterns. Kirby takes the opposite approach. It gives you the freedom to design content structures that perfectly match the needs of your project, regardless of its complexity.
From simple landing pages to highly structured content platforms, every field, template, and workflow can be tailored to your requirements. This flexibility allows developers to create elegant solutions while giving editors an intuitive and purpose-built editing experience.
Your content is unique. Your content model should be too.
A CMS Editors Actually Enjoy
Designed for content creators, not just developers.
Kirby's Panel delivers a modern and streamlined editing experience that helps teams focus on creating content instead of learning software. Clean interfaces, purpose-built forms, and customizable workflows ensure editors see exactly what they need—and nothing they don't.
Because every project is different, developers can tailor the Panel to match the content structure and editorial process of each website, creating an experience that feels natural from day one.
When content management becomes simpler, teams work faster, make fewer mistakes, and enjoy using the CMS.
A better editing experience leads to better content.
So, why Zero One?
Because Kirby deserves more than a basic starter theme.
Zero One was created to show what's possible when Kirby's flexibility is combined with a carefully designed website-building system.
More Than a Theme
A complete website-building platform.
Zero One goes far beyond traditional themes. It combines modern design, a powerful page-building experience, advanced content management, and extensive customization options into a cohesive platform built specifically for Kirby.
Instead of starting from scratch, you gain access to a mature ecosystem of components, layouts, features, and workflows designed to accelerate development while maintaining complete flexibility. From simple landing pages to complex, content-rich websites, Zero One provides the tools to build with confidence and scale with ease.
Build faster. Customize freely. Deliver more.
Feature-Rich Without the Bloat
Powerful functionality that stays fast.
Many themes start small and gradually become weighed down by countless features, plugins, and dependencies. As complexity grows, performance suffers, maintenance becomes more difficult, and flexibility often gets lost along the way.
Zero One takes a different approach. Every feature is carefully considered, purpose-built, and designed to integrate seamlessly with Kirby's lightweight architecture. Instead of adding functionality for the sake of feature lists, the focus is on providing real value while maintaining speed, reliability, and ease of use.
The result is a powerful website-building platform that delivers advanced capabilities without unnecessary overhead, helping you build sophisticated websites that remain fast, maintainable, and enjoyable to work with long after launch.
More capability. Less complexity. No compromise.
Everything You Need. Nothing You Don't
Built for real-world projects.
Zero One was created for professionals who value quality, efficiency, and long-term maintainability. Rather than overwhelming users with endless options and unnecessary complexity, it focuses on delivering the tools, components, and workflows that genuinely help build better websites.
Every feature serves a purpose. Every component is designed to be flexible, reusable, and easy to maintain. The result is a platform that feels powerful without becoming complicated, allowing developers, designers, and content editors to work more effectively together.
Whether you're launching a simple company website or a large content-driven project, Zero One provides a solid foundation that can grow with your needs while remaining fast, reliable, and easy to manage.
Not more features. Better features.
The Best Way to Experience Kirby
Discover what a modern CMS can be
Kirby provides the foundation. Zero One unlocks its full potential. Build faster, maintain less, and create websites that are as enjoyable to manage as they are to use.
