5 self-hosted options
Open-source alternatives to Squarespace
The best open-source alternative to Squarespace is Ghost (MIT, 55,607 GitHub stars). WordPress stands out for an appsgit step-by-step deploy guide, and Joomla! follows.
About Squarespace: A hosted website builder with templates and e-commerce.
Updated · data from GitHub, refreshed daily
Top picks
- Rank 1:
Ghost
TryGhost/Ghost
Just a blogging platform.
Active · last commit Oct 26, 2026
Blogging PlatformsTypeScriptStands out for the most GitHub stars.
- Rank 2:
WordPress
WordPress/WordPress
World's most-used blogging and CMS engine.
Active · last commit Oct 26, 2026
CMSPHPStands out for an appsgit step-by-step deploy guide.
- Rank 3:
Joomla!
joomla/joomla-cms
Advanced Content Management System (CMS).
Active · last commit Oct 24, 2026
CMSPHP
At a glance
Squarespace alternatives compared
Open-source apps come first, then source-available ones and apps whose license appsgit could not verify; within each group, projects with at least 12 commits in the last 12 months come before less active or archived ones, then by GitHub stars.
| App | Stands out for | License | GitHub stars | Commits (12 mo) | Last commit | Docker image |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ghost | the most GitHub stars | MIT | 55,607 | 6,670 | Oct 26, 2026 | No |
| WordPress | an appsgit step-by-step deploy guide | GPL-2.0 | 21,503 | 2,629 | Oct 26, 2026 | No |
| Joomla! | – | GPL-2.0 | 5,156 | 1,241 | Oct 24, 2026 | No |
| Bludit | a permissive MIT license | MIT | 1,470 | 211 | Oct 24, 2026 | No |
| TYPO3 | the longest track record (since 2011) | GPL-2.0 | 1,218 | 2,648 | Oct 26, 2026 | No |
Full list
All 5 Squarespace alternatives
Open any app for live stats, license details and a deploy option.
- 1
Ghost
Just a blogging platform.
Blogging PlatformsStands out for the most GitHub stars. Ghost has 55,607 GitHub stars, uses the MIT license and had 6,670 commits in the last year.
- 2
WordPress
World's most-used blogging and CMS engine.
CMSStands out for an appsgit step-by-step deploy guide. WordPress has 21,503 GitHub stars, uses the GPL-2.0 license and had 2,629 commits in the last year.
- 3
Joomla!
Advanced Content Management System (CMS).
CMSJoomla! has 5,156 GitHub stars, uses the GPL-2.0 license and had 1,241 commits in the last year.
- 4
Bludit
Build a site or blog in seconds. Bludit uses flat-files (text files in JSON format) to store posts and pages.
CMSStands out for a permissive MIT license. Bludit has 1,470 GitHub stars, uses the MIT license and had 211 commits in the last year.
- 5
TYPO3
Powerful and advanced CMS with a large community.
CMSStands out for the longest track record (since 2011). TYPO3 has 1,218 GitHub stars, uses the GPL-2.0 license and had 2,648 commits in the last year.
Is there a free alternative to Squarespace?
Yes. All 5 apps on this page are open source and free to self-host, so you can replace Squarespace without per-user fees. You pay only for the server.
Can I self-host an alternative to Squarespace with Docker?
None of the apps here publishes a Docker image in the catalog data; install them from their own packages or source, following each project's guide.
Which Squarespace alternative is the most actively developed?
Ghost (MIT), with 6,670 commits in the last 12 months. Activity is a good sign that bugs and security issues get fixed.
How is this list ranked?
Open-source apps come first, then source-available ones and apps whose license appsgit could not verify; within each group, projects with at least 12 commits in the last 12 months come before less active or archived ones, then by GitHub stars.