Self-hosted alternatives to Wix
Want drag-and-drop website building without handing your data to Wix? These 7 self-hosted apps run on your own server. Cheapest estimated hosting starts at about $5/month.
About Wix: Hosted drag-and-drop website builder.
| App | Health | Stars | License | Docker | RAM (est.) | From |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vvveb CMS | Active | 1.2k | AGPL-3.0 | ✓ | 1 GB | $5/mo |
| Expressa | Active | 452 | MIT | – | 1 GB | $5/mo |
| Contao | Active | 450 | LGPL-3.0 | – | 1 GB | $5/mo |
| HTMLy | Maintained | 1.4k | GPL-2.0 | – | 1 GB | $5/mo |
| Localess | Active | 75 | MIT | ✓ | 1 GB | $5/mo |
| CMS Made Simple | Unknown | – | GPL-2.0 | – | 1 GB | $5/mo |
| Plone | Unknown | – | ZPL-2.0 | ✓ | 1 GB | $5/mo |
The options in detail
1. Vvveb CMS
Powerful and easy to use CMS to build websites, blogs or e-commerce stores.
Active Last commit 2026-10-29. 8 releases in the past year. Latest release 1.0.9.0 (2026-10-29). Needs roughly 1 GB RAM. How to run it →
2. Expressa
Content Management System for powering database driven websites using JSON schemas. Provides permission management and automatic REST APIs.
Active Last commit 2026-09-22. Latest release 2.1.3 (2026-09-05). Needs roughly 1 GB RAM. How to run it →
3. Contao
Powerful CMS that allows you to create professional websites and scalable web applications.
Active Last commit 2026-11-04. 10+ releases in the past year. Latest release 6.0.4 (2026-10-09). Needs roughly 1 GB RAM. How to run it →
4. HTMLy
Databaseless PHP blogging platform. A flat-file CMS that allows you to create a fast, secure, and powerful website or blog in seconds.
Maintained Last commit 2026-01-25. 1 release in the past year. Latest release v3.1.1 (2025-11-03). Needs roughly 1 GB RAM. How to run it →
5. Localess
Powerful translation management and content management system. Manage and translate your website or app content into multiple languages, using AI to translate faster.
Active Last commit 2026-10-26. Latest release v4.1.0 (2026-10-05). Needs roughly 1 GB RAM. How to run it →
6. CMS Made Simple
Faster and easier management of website contents, scalable for small businesses to large corporations.
Unknown Needs roughly 1 GB RAM. How to run it →
7. Plone
CMS system that is used to create, edit, and manage digital content, like websites, intranets, and custom solutions.
Unknown Needs roughly 1 GB RAM. How to run it →
Why self-host instead of Wix?
- Own your data — it lives on a server you control, with backups you decide on.
- Predictable cost — a small VPS often replaces per-seat pricing for a whole team or family.
- No lock-in — open-source licenses let you keep running the software even if a vendor disappears.
The trade-off: you are responsible for updates, backups and security. Pick an app marked Active (a commit in the last 90 days) and with Docker support for the easiest ride.
Browse related categories
Other alternatives guides
Wix is a trademark of its owner; this site is not affiliated with it. Listings come from the community-maintained awesome-selfhosted list.