Silex is a free and open-source visual website builder for static sites, developed by Silex Labs, a non-profit organisation. A drag-and-drop editor built on the GrapesJS canvas lets you design pages visually while keeping direct access to HTML, CSS and JavaScript, and the result is clean static HTML that can be hosted anywhere. It is the open-source alternative to proprietary site builders such as Webflow: no subscription, no proprietary file format, no lock-in.

Key features

• GrapesJS-based visual editor with parallel HTML, CSS and JavaScript editors and a full style inspector
• Static HTML/CSS output: no database, no application runtime in production, deploy to any static host
• CMS integration: bind components to WordPress, Strapi, Squidex or any GraphQL API
• Eleventy (11ty) compatible templates for generating multi-page sites and wiring deployments into CI/CD
• Plugin system for server-side and client-side extensions written in JavaScript or TypeScript
• Per-page SEO settings including meta tags and Open Graph, plus publication straight from the editor to GitLab Pages
• Desktop application (alpha, built with Tauri) for offline editing, with a built-in MCP server for AI-assisted site building
• Free hosted instance at v3.silex.me for trying it in the browser

Self-hosting

Silex runs on Node.js: clone the repository, then pnpm install && pnpm build && pnpm start and open port 6805. Docker images and a production deployment guide are maintained in the project documentation, and a one-click CapRover deployment is available. Because the published output is static, the builder itself can run on a small server while the generated sites sit on any CDN.

Who it is for

Web agencies that want a visual workflow with static output, WordPress developers who want a visual front end over their existing content, freelance designers producing client sites without code, and no-code users who outgrow hosted builders and want full CSS control. Silex Labs publishes a manifesto on free software and community ownership, and the project is funded transparently through Open Collective.

Licence

AGPL-3.0 — free software with every feature included, no premium tier. Maintained by the Silex Labs non-profit.

Alternatives

• WordPress — can act as the headless content source for a Silex-built front end

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