Open source alternatives to WordPress.com

Minimal self-hosted blogging engines: a database-free or single-binary blog that renders fast and stays yours. WriteFreely powers federated…

Minimal self-hosted blogging engines: a database-free or single-binary blog that renders fast and stays yours. WriteFreely powers federated blogs on the Fediverse; HTMLy works from plain files with no database at all.

Compare

ProgramLicenseSelf-hostedLast releaseActivity
WriteFreely AGPL-3.0 Yes Aug 10, 2026 Nov 2026
HTMLy GPL-2.0 Yes Nov 3, 2025 Jan 2026
FlatPress GPL-2.0 Yes Mar 24, 2026 Nov 2026
Serendipity — Yes — —
Dotclear — Yes — —
WriteFreely AGPL-3.0 Blogging Linux macOS v0.17.2 ★ 5,283 HTMLy GPL-2.0 Blogging Web v3.1.1 ★ 1,367 FlatPress GPL-2.0 Blogging Web v1.5.1 ★ 218 Serendipity BSD-3-Clause Blogging Dotclear GPL-2.0 Blogging

How to choose

Compare the options on what matters for your case: the license (if you run a business, check commercial use), the platforms you already operate, and how actively each project releases. Every program above links to its official project page, release notes and source code.