Instead of Squarespace and Wix
Hosted website builders for people who are not developers.
Worth the work
WordPress is still the answer for most sites, and Ghost is better for a publication. What you lose is the drag-and-drop and the fact that someone else patches it.
You lose: The builder, and not thinking about updates.
Start here
WordPress
Runs half the web. You now maintain the plugins, and that is the job.
github.com/WordPress/WordPresswordpress.org
A compose file, a domain and a reverse proxy.
Also worth a look
- Ghost
Excellent for writing and newsletters. Not a general site builder.
- Publii
A desktop app that generates static files. No server, no plugins worth having.
What the desk has written
Facts checked 8 November 2026. Licences, activity and archive status come from each project's own repository; the verdict and the cost lines are the desk's.