WriteFreely
Open-source platform for building a writing space on the web
About WriteFreely
WriteFreely is a minimalist, open-source blogging and publishing platform built for distraction-free writing. It supports federation via ActivityPub, allowing blogs to connect with Mastodon, Pleroma, and other Fediverse platforms. It can be self-hosted with minimal resources or used via the managed Write.as hosting service.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Truly distraction-free with no likes, comments, or algorithmic feeds by design
- ActivityPub federation is a rare and powerful differentiator for decentralized reach
- Extremely lightweight — runs on low-cost servers or even a Raspberry Pi
- Strong privacy ethos with minimal data collection
- Self-hostable under AGPL-3.0 with pre-built binaries for easy deployment
- Multi-language and RTL support makes it globally accessible
Cons
- Very minimal feature set with no advanced SEO tools, plugins, or theme marketplace
- No built-in comments system by design which limits community interaction
- ActivityPub federation requires technical understanding on self-hosted instances
- Small ecosystem compared to WordPress or Ghost with fewer integrations
- Free tier on Write.as is currently closed to new signups
Key Features
Distraction-Free Editor
Minimalist writing interface with no feeds, metrics, or clutter that auto-saves as you write
ActivityPub Federation
Blogs connect natively to the Fediverse so readers on Mastodon can follow and interact with posts
Multi-Blog & Pen Names
Single account manages multiple blogs with privacy-preserving pen names
Custom Domains & SSL
Map your own domain to your WriteFreely blog with automatic HTTPS
Markdown Support
Full Markdown rendering for all posts with clean preview
Internationalization
20+ language localizations with right-to-left script support
OAuth 2.0 Authentication
Single sign-on support via OAuth 2.0 for multi-user community instances
Privacy-First Design
No tracking, no engagement metrics, minimal data collection by design
Developer API
Public REST API for custom integrations and extensions
Lightweight & Fast
Written in Go, runs on low-cost servers or even a Raspberry Pi
Pricing
- AGPL-3.0 open source
- All features included
- You manage hosting
- Custom themes
- Newsletters
- Custom domain
- 3 blogs
- Password-protected blogs
- Privacy analytics
- All Pro features
- Up to 5 team members
- User permissions
- Unlimited newsletter subscribers
- ePub export
- Unlimited team members
- Single sign-on
- Invoice billing
Best For
Personal Blogging
Writers who want a clean focused space to publish essays and newsletters without social media distractions
Federated Community Publishing
Organizations hosting multi-user instances connected to the Fediverse for decentralized publishing
Privacy-First Publishing
Privacy-conscious creators or journalists who need full control over their data and server
Developer Blogging
Developers who prefer Markdown, CLI publishing, and a lightweight stack
Nonprofit & Independent Media
Small outlets wanting open-source publishing infrastructure with federation support
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