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5 self-hosted options

Open-source alternatives to Squarespace

The best open-source alternatives to Squarespace are WordPress, Ghost and Joomla!.

About Squarespace: A hosted website builder with templates and e-commerce.

Every option below is free to self-host and ranked by GitHub stars, so you can move off Squarespace without giving up the features you rely on.

Top picks

  1. Rank 1:

    WordPress

    WordPress/WordPress

    World's most-used blogging and CMS engine.

    CMSPHP
  2. Rank 2:

    Ghost

    TryGhost/Ghost

    Just a blogging platform.

    Blogging PlatformsTypeScript
  3. Rank 3:

    Joomla!

    joomla/joomla-cms

    Advanced Content Management System (CMS).

    CMSPHP

Why switch

Why teams move off Squarespace

Self-hosting is not only about saving money. These are the reasons people make the switch.

  • Own your data

    Your data lives on a server you control, not on Squarespace's infrastructure. No surprise policy changes and no lock-in.

  • No per-seat pricing

    Open-source alternatives to Squarespace are free to run for as many users as your server can handle. A small VPS often costs less than a single subscription.

  • Customize and extend

    Read the code, add plugins, connect it to your own tools and automate it through open APIs. When you need a feature, you can build it or fund it.

Full ranking

All 5 Squarespace alternatives

Ranked by GitHub stars. Open any app for live stats, license details and a deploy option.

  1. 1

    WordPress

    World's most-used blogging and CMS engine.

  2. 2

    Ghost

    Just a blogging platform.

  3. 3

    Joomla!

    Advanced Content Management System (CMS).

  4. 4

    Bludit

    Build a site or blog in seconds. Bludit uses flat-files (text files in JSON format) to store posts and pages.

  5. 5

    TYPO3

    Powerful and advanced CMS with a large community.

FAQ

Squarespace alternatives: FAQ

Still curious? Email info@appsgit.com.

What is the best open-source alternative to Squarespace?

WordPress is the most popular open-source alternative to Squarespace, with 21,450 GitHub stars. Ghost and Joomla! are also strong choices. Compare features, license and recent activity to find the best fit for your team.

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 run a Squarespace replacement without per-user fees. You only pay for the server, and a small VPS is usually enough for personal use or a small team.

Can I self-host an alternative to Squarespace?

Yes. Each app here runs on your own server. Follow the install steps in the project's README, which usually take a few minutes on a fresh Linux VPS.

How do I migrate from Squarespace?

Start by exporting your data from Squarespace, then check the import options of the app you pick, since many projects ship importers for popular formats. Run both side by side for a week before you switch so nothing is lost.