Top pick · highest health
Ghost
Just a blogging platform.
Nodejs
Blogging Platforms
Open source alternatives to WordPress.com
We track 5 open-source WordPress.com alternatives, of which 3 currently score 70 or above on Repoly's GitHub health scale and 0 ship a Docker image. Ghost leads on health at 89/100 with 2266 commits in the last 90 days; across all 5 projects you are choosing between AGPL-3.0, GPL-2.0, MIT.
updated Oct 2026 5 alternatives best health 89 ★ 63k combined 2,405 commits / 90d 0 with Docker
Top picks to replace WordPress.com
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Healthiest
Health 89/100: 2,266 commits in 90 days, latest release v6.73.0.
Showing 5 of 5 tools
All 5 WordPress.com alternatives, ranked by health
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WriteFreely
Writing software for starting a minimalist, federated blog — or an entire community.
Go -
Mataroa
Naked blogging platform for minimalists.
Python -
HTMLy
Databaseless PHP blogging platform. A flat-file CMS that allows you to create a fast, secure, and powerful website or blog in seconds.
PHP -
Dotclear
Take control over your blog.
PHP
WordPress.com alternatives compared
Ghost edges WriteFreely 89 to 85, and most of the difference is stars: 56k stars against 5.3k stars.
The most recent release is Ghost v6.73.0, published 3 days ago. HTMLy scores under 40, so check recent activity before adopting it. By stack, PHP (2), Go (1) and Nodejs (1) are the most common. Ghost and Mataroa are permissively licensed; WriteFreely, HTMLy and Dotclear are copyleft. Dotclear is not hosted on a forge Repoly can read, so it has no measured score yet.
| Tool | Health | Stars | Licence | Last commit | Docker |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ghost Steady at 89 since 11 Sep | 89 | 56k | MIT | today | No |
| WriteFreely Steady at 85 since 11 Sep | 85 | 5.3k | AGPL-3.0 | 4 days ago | No |
| Mataroa Up 10 points since 11 Sep, no release for 9 months | 75 | 375 | MIT | today | No |
| HTMLy Down 2 points since 11 Sep, no release for 11 months | 39 | 1.4k | GPL-2.0 | 9 months ago | No |
| Dotclear | 10 | 0 | GPL-2.0 | unknown | No |
WordPress.com alternatives: common questions
What is the most maintained open source alternative to WordPress.com?
Ghost scores highest at 89/100, with 2266 commits in the last 90 days, 56k stars on GitHub and its latest release (v6.73.0) published 3 days ago. It is also the most active by raw commit count.
Which WordPress.com alternatives use a permissive licence?
2 of 5 are permissively licensed (MIT, Apache, BSD or similar): Ghost (MIT), Mataroa (MIT). 3 use copyleft licences such as GPL or AGPL, which require you to publish changes if you distribute a modified version.
Which WordPress.com alternatives run in Docker?
None of the 5 tracked alternatives currently advertise Docker support, so expect manual installation. Docker support is worth 10 of the 100 health points on Repoly.
Is Ghost or WriteFreely the better WordPress.com alternative?
On measured health Ghost leads, 89 to 85. Ghost has 2,266 commits in 90 days, 56k stars and v6.73.0 from 3 days ago; WriteFreely has 64 commits in 90 days, 5.3k stars and v0.17.2 from 3 months ago. Ghost is ahead or level on every term Repoly measures.
Are the WordPress.com alternatives still maintained?
3 of the 4 measured options score 70 or above. HTMLy had no commits in the last 90 days. HTMLy scores under 40.
What languages are the WordPress.com alternatives written in?
PHP: HTMLy and Dotclear. Go: WriteFreely. Nodejs: Ghost. The stack matters if you plan to extend or patch the tool yourself.
