WriteFreely
Writing software for starting a minimalist, federated blog — or an entire community.
- GitHub stars
- 5,269
- License
- AGPL-3.0
- Latest release
- v0.17.2
10 August 2026 - Last commit
- 28 September 2026
- Runs on
- Go
Commits per month, last 12 months
210 commits
Replaces
Paid products WriteFreely can stand in for.
How to self-host WriteFreely
WriteFreely runs on Go. The project's own install guide is the place to start; most people put it on a small server with Docker and a reverse proxy for HTTPS.
- Get a server: a home server, a VPS, or a managed app host.
- Install it the way the project's docs describe, usually with Docker Compose.
- Put it behind HTTPS and set up backups before you add real data.
- Update it regularly. Watch the project's releases.
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Questions
Is WriteFreely free?
Yes. WriteFreely is open source under the AGPL-3.0 license, so you can use it without paying for a license. You pay only for the server it runs on.
Can I self-host WriteFreely?
Yes. WriteFreely runs on Go. Follow the install guide in the project's documentation, or use a host that installs it for you.
What does WriteFreely replace?
People use WriteFreely instead of Medium, Blogger, WordPress.com or Substack.
Is WriteFreely still maintained?
The last change to WriteFreely's code was on 28 September 2026, with 210 commits in the last 12 months.
Topics
App data from awesome-selfhosted (CC BY-SA 3.0), stars and activity from GitHub.