Pinegrow vs Publii (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Publii grades higher than Pinegrow: 2.8 against 2.0 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
Publii grades higher on value for money and the free plan. They get the same grade on features, ease of use and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Pinegrow
Visual HTML, CSS and Tailwind editor for desktop and browser
Which one is for you
Pick Pinegrow if
- Fits if you want to edit real HTML and CSS files in a visual editor
- Works for developers who use Tailwind or Bootstrap
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want a hosted builder with a store, because it edits files you host yourself
- Watch out: the prices shown were 50% off with a countdown, so the regular prices may return
- Watch out: Interactions, WordPress Builder and Shop Builder are separate add-ons, and Interactions is not sold one-time
- Watch out: refunds are not available on monthly subscriptions
- Watch out: monthly and one-time prices exist, but only the annual ones were readable
Pick Publii if
- Fits if you want a free site editor and already have or will pick a host
- Works for people who like keeping site files on their own computer
Look elsewhere if
- Watch out: you must arrange and pay for your own hosting
- Watch out: premium themes and plugins are paid extras
- Not for you if you need shop, login or database features, as the output is static
- Tight if several people edit one site, as content lives on one computer
How we grade them
| 2.0GPAPinegrowFair | 2.8GPAPubliiGood | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | C$49.50 a year, shown at 50% off $99, which is $8.25 a month at the regular price, in the middle of the category. Add-ons cost $25 to $50 a year each. | AThe app is free and open source, with unlimited sites and no account, against a category where the cheaper quarter pays $6.75 a month; hosting is extra. |
| Free plan and trial | CA free trial with every feature unlocked, and no free plan. The listing does not say how long it lasts. | AFree outright, with no cap on sites and no sign-up. |
| Features | CVisual editing of real files, Tailwind and Bootstrap editors, an AI assistant and publishing. Interactions, WordPress Builder and Shop Builder are paid add-ons. | COffline editing, several editors, many publishing targets and a WordPress importer, but static output only, with no database or hosted multi-user editor. |
| Ease of use | CNo rating on record. You work with real HTML and CSS files and learn the editor. | CNo store rating on record, and you pick a theme, build the site and set up your own host. |
| Platforms and integrations | CA desktop app for Mac, Windows and Linux, plus a browser edition. No phone app. | CWindows, Mac and Linux desktop only, with publishing links to GitHub Pages, Netlify and S3. |
| Best for | visual editing of real HTML and CSS files | a free desktop app that makes static sites |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: Pinegrow and Publii. How we grade
Price against what you get
Pinegrow starts at $4.13 a month when paid by the year and scores 2.0 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Publii has no paid plan and scores 2.0.
They score the same, and Publii starts $4.13 a month lower. Of the other website and landing page builders on the chart, 8 score higher than Pinegrow for less, and none scores higher than Publii for less.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Where they differ
- Pinegrow can be bought with a one-time purchase.
- Publii is open source, according to its own site.
- Pinegrow also covers online store.
- Publii also covers Markdown.
At a glance
| Pinegrow | Publii | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free trial | Free |
| Starts at | $49.50 per year, shown with $99 crossed out | Free |
| Free plan | None | None |
| Free trial | Free trial with every feature unlocked | None listed |
| Web | ||
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| Linux | ||
| Made by | Pinegrow Pte. Ltd. | TidyCustoms |
| Price read from | pinegrow.com | getpublii.com |
| Checked | Nov 13, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Pinegrow
- Monthly and one-time payment options exist on the page, but only the annual prices were readable here.
- The prices shown were 50% off a regular price, with a countdown labeled as a sale, so the regular prices may apply later.
- Interactions, WordPress Builder and Shop Builder are add-ons; Interactions is not offered with a one-time payment.
- Refunds are not available on monthly subscriptions.
Publii
- You must arrange and pay for your own hosting; the app only generates the files.
- Premium themes and plugins on the Publii marketplace are paid extras.
- The published site is static, with no database or PHP behind it, so dynamic features need outside services.
- Content is edited on one computer; there is no hosted multi-user editor.
Key features
Pinegrow
- Visual editing of real files
- Pages are edited visually or in code, side by side, and stay in standard HTML and CSS files with no lock-in.
- Tailwind and Bootstrap editors
- Classes become visual controls, including Tailwind 4 projects with a custom theme and Bootstrap components and grids.
- WordPress theme builder
- An HTML design can be turned into a WordPress theme with Gutenberg blocks, or a WooCommerce shop, exported as PHP files.
- AI Assistant
- A built-in assistant edits pages, and the editor also follows file changes made by agents such as Claude Code or Codex.
- Publishing and handover
- Sites publish to GitHub, Netlify, Cloudflare Pages or SFTP, and clients edit marked areas in the browser through Pinegrow Online.
Publii
- Offline desktop editing
- Write and change settings without a connection or cloud account; files stay on your computer until you publish.
- Three editors
- Compose posts with a block editor, a WYSIWYG toolbar or a Markdown editor, depending on how you prefer to write.
- Many publishing targets
- Publish to GitHub Pages, GitLab Pages, Netlify, Amazon S3, Google Cloud, FTP or SFTP, or export a folder of files.
- WordPress importer
- Brings in posts, pages, images, authors and menus from a WordPress export file, with a report listing unresolved links.
- SEO, privacy and AI-crawler tools
- Sitemaps, feeds, JSON-LD data and cookie controls are built in; plugins add an llms.txt file and AI crawler rules.
- Unlimited sites per app
- Each site has its own content, settings and publishing destination, with no per-site fee for the application.
Plans
Pinegrow
Web Editor, annual$49.50
per user / year, shown at 50% off $99
Yearly subscription with Tailwind, Bootstrap and plain HTML editing and Pinegrow Online for local projects.
Interactions add-on$50
per year, shown at 50% off $200
Visual editor for interactions, animations and scroll scenes, with the GreenSock license included. Not sold with one-time payments.
WordPress Builder add-on$25
per year, shown at 50% off $50
Builds custom WordPress themes, plugins and blocks without coding.
Shop Builder add-on$25
per year, shown at 50% off $50
Builds custom WooCommerce stores and blocks; requires the WordPress Builder add-on.
Publii
Publii app$0
Free, open-source desktop app; unlimited sites with no per-site fee and no account needed.
Ways to pay less
Pinegrow
- Education
Special plan for students and non-profits
The buy section points students, non-profits and educators to a special plan, and invites others who cannot afford it to get in touch.
- Other savings
30-day money-back guarantee
Applies to one-time licenses, upgrades and yearly subscriptions, not recurring monthly subscriptions.
Publii
No public discounts listed.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Pinegrow or Publii?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Publii is cheaper to start with: it is free, against $4.13 a month when paid by the year for Pinegrow. Pinegrow starts at $49.50 per year, shown with $99 crossed out, and Publii is free.
Which has a free plan, Pinegrow or Publii?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only Publii has a free plan. Pinegrow does not, though it has a free trial.
Which platforms do Pinegrow and Publii run on?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only Pinegrow lists a web app. Both list macOS, Windows and Linux apps. A platform missing from a listing is one its maker's pages did not mention.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.