Top pick · highest health
Directus
An Instant App & API for your SQL Database. Directus wraps your new or existing SQL database with a realtime GraphQL+REST API for developers, and an intuitive admin app for non-technical users.
DockerNodejs
Content Management Systems (CMS)
Open source alternatives to Squarespace
We track 6 open-source Squarespace alternatives, of which 4 currently score 70 or above on Repoly's GitHub health scale and 2 ship a Docker image. Directus leads on health at 98/100 with 141 commits in the last 90 days; across all 6 projects you are choosing between BUSL-1.1, MIT.
updated Oct 2026 6 alternatives best health 98 ★ 175k combined 3,377 commits / 90d 2 with Docker
Top picks to replace Squarespace
Showing 6 of 6 tools
All 6 Squarespace alternatives, ranked by health
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Automad
Flat-file content management system and template engine.
DockerPHP -
Strapi
Headless CMS that lets developers build content APIs fast while giving content creators a friendly editing interface.
Nodejs -
Ghost
Just a blogging platform.
Nodejs -
Bludit
Build a site or blog in seconds. Bludit uses flat-files (text files in JSON format) to store posts and pages.
PHP -
Apostrophe
CMS with a focus on extensible in-context editing tools.
Nodejs
Squarespace alternatives compared
Directus edges Automad 98 to 92, and most of the difference is stars: 39k stars against 958 stars. Automad is the busier codebase, though, with 316 commits in 90 days to 141. Strapi has the largest following at 73k stars, yet ranks #3 of 6, held back mostly by Docker support (no Docker image).
The most recent release is Strapi v5.60.0, published 2 days ago. Apostrophe publishes no tagged releases, which costs up to 25 of the 100 points. None of the measured options scores under 40. By stack, Nodejs (4) and PHP (2) are the most common. Automad, Strapi, Ghost and 2 more are permissively licensed. Directus is source-available rather than open source, which limits commercial reuse.
| Tool | Health | Stars | Licence | Last commit | Docker |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Directus Steady at 98 since 11 Sep | 98 | 39k | BUSL-1.1 | yesterday | Yes |
| Automad Steady at 92 since 11 Sep | 92 | 958 | MIT | yesterday | Yes |
| Strapi Steady at 89 since 11 Sep | 89 | 73k | MIT | today | No |
| Ghost Steady at 89 since 11 Sep | 89 | 56k | MIT | today | No |
| Bludit Up 1 point since 11 Sep, no release for 5 months | 66 | 1.5k | MIT | 6 days ago | No |
| Apostrophe | 60 | 4.7k | MIT | yesterday | No |
Squarespace alternatives: common questions
What is the most maintained open source alternative to Squarespace?
Directus scores highest at 98/100, with 141 commits in the last 90 days, 39k stars on GitHub and its latest release (v12.6.0) published 3 days ago. Ghost has the most raw commit activity at 2266 commits in 90 days.
Which Squarespace alternatives use a permissive licence?
5 of 6 are permissively licensed (MIT, Apache, BSD or similar): Automad (MIT), Strapi (MIT), Ghost (MIT), Bludit (MIT), Apostrophe (MIT). 0 use copyleft licences such as GPL or AGPL, which require you to publish changes if you distribute a modified version.
Which Squarespace alternatives run in Docker?
2 of 6 publish a Docker image or Compose file: Directus, Automad. Docker support contributes 10 of the 100 available health points, because it is the clearest signal that self-hosting is a supported path rather than an afterthought.
Is Directus or Automad the better Squarespace alternative?
On measured health Directus leads, 98 to 92. Directus has 141 commits in 90 days, 39k stars and v12.6.0 from 3 days ago; Automad has 316 commits in 90 days, 958 stars and 2.0.0-beta.68 from 12 days ago. Pick Automad if licensing matters: it is MIT, while Directus is BUSL-1.1.
Are the Squarespace alternatives still maintained?
4 of the 6 measured options score 70 or above. Every measured option had commits in the last 90 days. None scores under 40.
What languages are the Squarespace alternatives written in?
Nodejs: Directus, Strapi, Ghost and Apostrophe. PHP: Automad and Bludit. The stack matters if you plan to extend or patch the tool yourself.
