WriteFreely
Open-source platform for building a writing space on the web
Founded
2017
Starting Price
Free
Category
Writing & Documents
Last updated April 27, 2026
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
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
Pricing
Self-Hosted
Free
- AGPL-3.0 open source
- All features included
- You manage hosting
Pro (Write.as)
$6/month
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
