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Publii

Free, open-source desktop CMS for creating static websites locally and publishing them anywhere

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Publii is a free, open-source desktop CMS that lets you write content locally and generate static websites to publish to any hosting provider without a

About this launch

Screenshot of the Publii homepage
getpublii.com, as visitors see it

Publii is a free, open-source desktop content management system for Windows, macOS, and Linux that generates static websites. The application runs on your computer, where you write and manage content using block, WYSIWYG, or Markdown editors. When you publish, Publii generates clean, semantic HTML files that you deploy to hosting services like GitHub Pages, Netlify, Amazon S3, Google Cloud, GitLab Pages, or traditional FTP hosting.

The platform emphasizes privacy and performance. Published sites require no database, PHP runtime, or public admin panel, reducing the attack surface and server overhead. Publii includes built-in SEO tools like sitemaps and structured data support, responsive image generation with lazy loading, WebP conversion, and privacy-first features including GDPR and CCPA-friendly cookie consent management.

Themes are professionally designed and hand-coded with semantic HTML5 and vanilla JavaScript, keeping sites lightweight. The marketplace offers both free and premium themes and plugins to extend functionality with analytics, search, comments, and integrations. Publii is particularly suited for blogs, portfolios, documentation sites, company websites, and other content-focused projects where pages can be generated before publication.

What it does

  • Block, WYSIWYG, and Markdown editors
  • Responsive images with lazy loading and WebP conversion
  • SEO settings and structured data support
  • Automatic XML sitemap generation
  • Multiple publishing destinations
  • HTML and CSS minification
  • Handlebars theme system
  • Multiple author profiles

Pricing

Pricing model: Open source

The Publii core application is free and open-source under the GPL-3.0 license. Free and premium themes and plugins are available in the Marketplace; hosting, domains, and third-party services may involve additional costs.

Shopper questions

What is Publii?

Publii is a free, open-source desktop CMS for Windows, macOS, and Linux that provides visual tools for writing, organizing, and previewing content, then generates a static website made from HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and media files. The application and its content database stay on your computer, and the published website does not require the Publii application, PHP, or a CMS database on the server.

Is Publii free?

The Publii core application is free and open-source under the GPL-3.0 license and can be used for personal and commercial websites without purchasing it. However, running a website may involve costs for hosting, domains, optional premium themes, plugins, and third-party services.

Can I use Publii offline?

Yes. After installation, you can create and edit content, change site settings, customize themes, and preview the generated site without an internet connection. Site data remains on your computer unless you synchronize it or publish to a remote host. Internet access is needed only to publish to online servers, download updates or Marketplace products, and use external resources.

How does Publii work?

You create and edit the site in the Publii desktop application. When you preview or publish, Publii combines your content with the selected theme and generates the finished website files. Create a site and choose a theme. Write posts or pages and configure navigation, SEO, and site settings. Preview the generated website locally. Publish the files to a supported hosting provider or export them for manual deployment. Visitors receive the generated files from the host. Publii does not need to run on the public server.

How is Publii different from WordPress?

Publii generates pages before publication. A conventional self-hosted WordPress site uses PHP, a database, themes, and plugins on the server to build or retrieve a response. Full-page caching can let WordPress serve pre-generated HTML, so the practical difference depends on its hosting and configuration. Because Publii generates the HTML before deployment, the host has less work to do for a standard page request and exposes a smaller live CMS attack surface. Actual speed and security still depend on the theme, scripts, images, hosting, credentials, and configuration.

More on this profile

Publii has a free listing. The owner can unlock the full profile with a paid launch for $5:

  • Founder story (locked)
  • Milestones (locked)
  • Demo video (locked)
  • Dofollow website link (locked)

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