--- title: "Home" description: "Éclair is a free, ultra-lightweight CMS with no database: a fast website (Lighthouse 100) that ranks on Google, gets cited by AI and goes live in 3 minutes." url: "https://eclaircms.org/en" lang: "en" author: "Thierry Gustin" published: "2026-10-30" updated: "2026-10-30" --- # Home > **Key takeaways** — Éclair is an ultra-lightweight CMS, free and open source (MIT license), written in PHP and running without a database. It includes static caching, SEO, GEO for AI answer engines, security and an AI assistant, fits in a 402 KB archive and installs in 3 minutes on shared hosting with PHP 8.1 or later. ## The ultra-lightweight CMS, built for Google and AI Éclair is an ultra-lightweight CMS that gets your website online in 3 minutes, on any shared hosting. **No database. No plugins. No maintenance.** Free and open source. [Download Éclair 1.2.0](https://eclaircms.org/en/download) ![The Éclair editor with SEO and GEO analysis scoring 100 out of 100, and the published article on a phone](https://eclaircms.org/media/2026/10/en-editor-seo-geo-mobile.webp) ## Éclair by the numbers ### 100/100 on Lighthouse: performance, accessibility, best practices and SEO ### 402 KB for the complete archive, versus about 35 MB for WordPress ### 0 databases to create, back up or repair ### 0 cookies on the public site, so no cookie banner to display ## An ultra-lightweight CMS, with no plugins to install Éclair packs into less than 1 MB what WordPress spreads across a dozen plugins: caching, SEO, security, backups and a contact form. It’s designed for freelancers, craftspeople and small businesses who want a fast, well-ranked, hassle-free website. ### ⚡ Ultra-fast Every page is served from a static cache, without loading the application: a **0.7 ms** server response time, measured locally. ### 🔎 SEO built in Structured data, sitemap, 301 redirects, Google preview and a **live SEO score** in the editor. ### 🤖 Ready for AI `llms.txt`, a Markdown version of every page, rules for 30 AI bots and a **GEO score** to get cited by ChatGPT or Perplexity. ### 🛡️ Secure by default Two-factor authentication, brute-force protection, strict headers, sanitized content and an **offensive security review**. ### 🪶 Ultra-light Your content lives in protected files: zero dependencies, zero database, a single 1.2 KB public script. ### ✨ AI assistant Claude or ChatGPT with your own key: drafts, images and edits **in your site’s voice**, never published without you. [Explore all the features](https://eclaircms.org/en/features) ## Éclair or WordPress: which one should you choose? WordPress can do everything, but it needs a database, plugins for SEO, security and caching, and endless updates. Éclair does less, but it does it out of the box, with nothing to install. | Criterion | Classic WordPress | Éclair | | --- | --- | --- | | Installation | Create a MySQL database, then run the wizard | Upload the folder, answer 4 questions | | Database | MySQL or MariaDB required | None | | Download size | About 35.5 MB | 402 KB | | SEO, sitemap, structured data | A plugin to install and maintain | Built in | | GEO: llms.txt, Markdown, AI bots | Plugins, rarely complete | Built in | | Page caching | A caching plugin | Built in and automatic | | Two-factor authentication | A plugin | Built in | | Plugins to update | Regularly | None | [Read the full comparison](https://eclaircms.org/en/eclair-vs-wordpress) ## How do you install Éclair in 3 minutes? There’s no database to create and no configuration file to fill in: just upload a folder and answer four questions. 1. **Download** the Éclair archive (402 KB) and unzip it on your computer. 2. **Upload the contents of the `eclair` folder** to your hosting account, via FTP or with your host’s file manager. 3. **Open your site’s URL**: the wizard asks 4 questions, then your site is live with its first pages. [Follow the step-by-step installation guide](https://eclaircms.org/en/installation) ## Found on Google, cited by AI Everything you publish automatically becomes an optimized page, a sitemap entry, an RSS feed item, a line in `llms.txt` and a Markdown version that ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini or Claude can read effortlessly. ![One piece of content, every format: an HTML page with JSON-LD, a sitemap with IndexNow, an RSS feed, llms.txt, a Markdown version and robots.txt, read by search engines and AI answer engines](https://eclaircms.org/media/2026/10/en-seo-geo-formats.webp) ## An AI assistant that writes like you Ask “Write an article about servicing an e-bike, with an image”: the assistant checks that the topic isn’t already covered, creates the image, writes the complete draft in your site’s voice and shows it to you with its SEO and GEO scores. **Nothing is published without your click.** ![Éclair’s AI assistant, asked for an article about choosing brand colors with an image, creates the image and a complete draft scored SEO 91 and GEO 100](https://eclaircms.org/media/2026/10/en-ai-assistant-drafting.webp) ## Secure by default, with nothing to configure Éclair is built for a hostile environment: shared hosting, with bots trying passwords around the clock. - **No database**: SQL injection is impossible, and data files are doubly protected. - **Hardened login**: Argon2id password hashing, brute-force protection and two-factor authentication with recovery codes. - **Locked-down public site**: a strict Content-Security-Policy, allowlist-based content sanitizing and re-encoded images. - **Integrity check** of every file, a security log and one-click backups. ## Latest from the blog - [Migrate from WordPress to Éclair: the step-by-step method](https://eclaircms.org/blog/migrate-from-wordpress) - [GEO: how to get your site cited by ChatGPT, Perplexity and Gemini](https://eclaircms.org/blog/geo-get-cited-by-chatgpt) - [Flat-file CMS: benefits, limitations and who it’s for](https://eclaircms.org/blog/flat-file-cms) ## Frequently asked questions ### Is Éclair really free? Yes. Éclair is free software under the MIT license: you can use it, modify it and redistribute it, including for commercial use. Only the optional AI assistant costs anything: the price of your API key, about $0.24 per full post with Claude Opus 5.5. ### What kind of hosting do I need for Éclair? Standard shared hosting with PHP 8.1 or later (8.3 recommended) and Apache or LiteSpeed: o2switch, OVH, Hostinger, IONOS, PlanetHoster… No database is needed. [See the installation guide](https://eclaircms.org/en/installation). ### Can I move my WordPress site to Éclair? Yes, for a business website or a blog. Smart paste turns your text into clean blocks, and the redirect manager keeps your old URLs working. [See the step-by-step method](https://eclaircms.org/blog/migrate-from-wordpress). ### Is Éclair a good fit for an online store? No: Éclair is designed for business websites, blogs, portfolios and sales pages. To sell online with a cart and payments, a dedicated tool is still the better choice. ### Who develops Éclair? [Thierry Gustin](https://eclaircms.org/en/about), an SEO consultant since 2014, who designed it for freelancers and small businesses. The code is public and open to contributions [on GitHub](https://github.com/Jacckisback/eclair-cms). ## Ready to move at lightning speed? Download Éclair, upload it to your hosting and answer 4 questions. Your site will be live before your coffee gets cold. [Download Éclair 1.2.0](https://eclaircms.org/en/download)