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Kirby, mon amour.

There's a certain feeling you get when you find the right tool for the job.
It's like you've finally found your perfect match.

That's how we feel about Kirby.
It's the CMS (Content Management System) that just feels right.
Published

The name instantly rings a bell. Perhaps it's because we spent countless hours playing the Nintendo video game Kirby as kids. We had no idea that we'd stumble upon a CMS with the same name that would change the way we build websites. We've discovered a tool that not only helps us create beautiful, eco-friendly websites but also brings us joy in the process.

That’s probably down to its philosophy: to start as minimal as possible. With Kirby, you add what you need to a project rather than having to remove tons of unwanted features and plug-ins to get started.

A CMS that KISS,
"Keep it simple, stupid!"

Our studio is all about keeping things simple, and we try to bring that same approach to all parts of our business. A CMS is the heart of a website. It's where all the content comes together and takes shape. It's also a smart piece of software that gives our clients the controls they need to manage their own projects.Kirby has a simple, beautifully designed and easy-to-use interface that's straightforward even for those without technical expertise. Its visual editor makes it simple for clients to create and edit content.

Launching a website is as simple as uploading a folder to a server.

What really stands out with Kirby is the basic but efficient tech stack. It almost feels like cheating when you compare it to all the complexity brought by the so-called modern stack, which can sometimes require a high level of technical expertise to launch a simple website.Kirby is the opposite. All you have to do is upload the folder to your server and that's it, you're live.

"To make something that lasts, look to the past"

Kirby uses web technology like PHP that has stood the test of time and is well documented, so we can be sure that a digital service will last.Kirby is different from other PHP-based CMSs like WordPress because it doesn't use databases. Instead, it uses simple text files to store your website's content. The massive benefit of this solution is that text files are a timeless format. They were invented back in the early days of computing and are still used today.

As Steph Ango, CEO of the notes app Obsidian, says:

If you want your writing to still be readable on a computer from the 2060s or 2160s, it’s important that your notes can be read on a computer from the 1960s."

Versatile, bespoke, and fast

Because everything is stored in simple text files, if we ever decide to switch to a different CMS (which we honestly doubt we will!), migrating our content will be also easier. Kirby can also be used as a headless CMS, which basically means that the presentation layer (where content is shown) is separate from the backend (where content is managed). If you decide to redesign your website, you can keep the same content and use whatever front-end technology you want – and hire whoever you want as a developer.

Another great aspect of Kirby is that it can be tailored to suit the needs of the site owner. We can easily create unique versions of the Panel (the back-end where you manage the content) and adapt it to fit the specific requirements of the project.It'll feel like you've got your own custom-made CMS that's been designed with you in mind. Pretty cool, right?

The clever technical choices make Kirby really quick out of the box. It gets even faster and matches the performance of static websites with a good cache system in place, which reduces the number of requests sent to your server. It's super fast... and adapted for low-carbon websites!

Made by a small team that cares

Finally, the final element that makes Kirby special to us is its business structure.It is run by a sustainable business since 2012, and a small team of five people supported by a paid licence business model - a one-off fee of 99€. Compared to the cost of a subscription model over three years, which would be €2.75 per month, it's a great deal when you consider that once you've paid, you can use it for free forever.

This model allows the company to be self-sustaining and to consistently improve the product over time. Kirby's team is also committed about providing a tool that helps society and they believe that "technology is always political and that we need to think carefully about our decisions and their impact". That is the reason why they offer free licences to students, educational projects, social and environmental organisations, charities and non-profits.

A long-term relationship

Since we started Hey Low, we've looked around for many other solutions that seem great at first but quickly lose their appeal compared to that wonderful piece of technology that is our CMS of choice for most of our projects. We've used it for almost five years now and are excited to continue for another five years and more to come.

Like the title of the first video of its homonym, Kirby is for us the Dream Land of CMS.

Note: Just to be clear, we're not affiliated with Kirby, and we don't get anything for recommending it. We're just genuinely in love with it.

A big thank you to Bastian, Sonja, Lukas, Nick and Ahmet from the Kirby core team and all the plugin developers for everything you are doing. We're building on top of the solid foundations you've set with your amazing and dedicated work and care.

Let’s discuss your next project?