Kiln review
A low-cost Git-based CMS with visual editing, approvals, and version control.
Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026
Kiln is an open-source CMS for static websites that lets editors change text and media directly on the page. Content is stored as plain HTML or content files in a GitHub repository, and each publish is recorded as a Git commit. It is suited to teams that want visual editing while keeping Git history, review controls, and repository ownership. Its feature set also covers blocks, tables, galleries, events, members-only pages and files, REST API access, and MCP access.
The pricing structure gives teams three operating models. Self-hosted is free forever and includes the AGPL-3.0 open-source software, while the customer runs the worker and GitHub App and provides the site host. Kiln Cloud costs $4.99 per site per month, with hosted sign-in and a hosted commit worker; the repository and hosting remain with the customer, and the plan includes a 7-day free trial. Fully managed costs $14.99 per site per month, with Kiln handling setup and hosting while content remains in the repository. The paid plans include 7-day free trials.
Kiln fits deployments built around GitHub and supports Cloudflare Workers, Cloudflare Pages, Vercel, Netlify, and GitHub Pages, along with Google sign-in. Editors can use suggest-only editing, reviewer comments, scoped access to pages or sections, named versions, and side-by-side restore previews. Image and document replacement includes compression and resizing. The main boundary is its GitHub-centered workflow: teams using another Git provider should choose a different CMS. Teams that want static-site publishing, approvals, and Git-based history at a low cost should consider Kiln, while teams seeking a provider-agnostic Git workflow should look elsewhere.
Kiln pros and cons
- Where it wins
- Free forever self-hosted plan under AGPL-3.0
- Inline editing with drafts, scheduling, approvals, and comments
- Named versions, restore previews, and advanced media handling
- Where it doesn't
- Git-provider support is limited to GitHub
- Self-hosting requires running the worker and GitHub App
- Managed pricing is charged per site per month
Kiln fact sheet, pricing and score →
Advertiser disclosure: iTechGuides is reader-supported. Vendors can pay for top positions in our rankings and for a place on other products' pages, and we may earn a commission when you click some links. Bought places stand at the number bought; this page and our disclosure say so. Paying vendors may get a fuller, more detailed review from our editors, and that review can change their score. How we rank.
Last updated · How we research and update