Publii review (2026): is it any good?
Free open-source desktop CMS that publishes static websites
Publii report card
Good · out of 4.0 · graded Nov 13, 2026
Best for a free desktop app that makes static sites
Publii is a free, open-source desktop app for Windows, Mac and Linux that generates static HTML you publish to your own host. You supply and pay for hosting, premium themes and plugins cost extra, and dynamic features need outside services.
Who Publii is for
- 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
Who Publii is not for
- 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
Why Publii gets a 2.8
Five grades, each with its reason. The GPA is their average: an A is 4 points, an F is none.
- AValue for moneyThe 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.
- AFree plan and trialFree outright, with no cap on sites and no sign-up.
- CFeaturesOffline editing, several editors, many publishing targets and a WordPress importer, but static output only, with no database or hosted multi-user editor.
- CEase of useNo store rating on record, and you pick a theme, build the site and set up your own host.
- CPlatforms and integrationsWindows, Mac and Linux desktop only, with publishing links to GitHub Pages, Netlify and S3.
What these grades rest on. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from Publii's own pages on 13 November 2026. Not based on using the product, and shorter than our full reviews. How we review and grade.
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<a href="https://toolgpa.com/tools/publii#review"><img src="https://toolgpa.com/badge/publii.svg" alt="Publii: 2.8 GPA on ToolGPA" width="196" height="56"></a>Where Publii stands among website and landing page builders
Publii's GPA of 2.8 is higher than 100 of the 104 other website and landing page builders we grade, and level with 2.
It stands best on free plan and trial (A, above 104 of 104) and worst on platforms and integrations (C, above 2).
Publii has no paid plan.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 2.0 out of 4, and no tool on the category's chart scores higher without costing more.
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 105 website and landing page builders we grade, cut by the letter each got. Publii’s own letter is outlined.
- AValue for moneyAbove 94 of 104, level with 10
- AFree plan and trialAbove 104 of 104
- CFeaturesAbove 5 of 104, level with 81
- CEase of useAbove 6 of 104, level with 92
- CPlatforms and integrationsAbove 2 of 104, level with 32
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 91 website and landing page builders. Further left costs less, and higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. Point at a dot to see which tool it is.
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
Keep Publii, or make your own?
Keep it
Publii is free, so making your own would save you nothing.
And it is not the kind of software a weekend replaces. It is one of the better ones too: its GPA of 2.8 is higher than 100 of the 104 other website and landing page builders we grade.
What you could make
- Markdown and templates: an app builder makes these well.
What you could not
- A builder that other people can use without writing code.
- Apps for macOS, Windows and Linux that stay in step with each other.
- It plugs into other products, GitHub Pages, GitLab Pages and Netlify among them.
What this rests on. Publii’s listing: what it does, where it runs, what it plugs into and what it costs. It is a judgement about the kind of software this is. We have not built a replacement for it, and making your own means looking after it too. How we decide, and every tool’s verdict.
What is Publii?
Publii is a desktop app for Windows, macOS and Linux that keeps your site content on your computer and generates static HTML pages. You publish the result to a host of your choice, so the server needs no database, PHP or CMS login. The app is free; themes and plugins on its marketplace include paid ones.
Worth knowing
- 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
- 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.
Publii pricing
As of Nov 13, 2026, Publii is free to use.
- Starts at
- Free
- Free plan
- None
- Free trial
- None listed
| Plan | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Publii app | $0 | Free, open-source desktop app; unlimited sites with no per-site fee and no account needed. |
Read from getpublii.com on Nov 13, 2026. Prices change, so confirm with Publii before you buy.
Works with
- GitHub Pages
- GitLab Pages
- Netlify
- Amazon S3
- Google Cloud
- WordPress
Publii alternatives
- Publii vs RapidWeaver Elements
Free trial · from $99/yr
- Publii vs WordPress.com
Free plan · from $4/mo
- Publii vs Mobirise
Free plan · from $149/yr
- Publii vs Nicepage
Free plan · from $6.75/mo
- Publii vs Pinegrow
Free trial · from $49.50/yr
Common questions
Does Publii have an Android app?
No Android app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 13, 2026. Publii is listed for macOS, Windows and Linux.
Does Publii have an iPhone app?
No iPhone app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 13, 2026. Publii is listed for macOS, Windows and Linux.
Is Publii open source?
Yes. Publii is open source, according to its own site.
Does Publii work offline?
Yes, according to its own site. What works without a connection differs by plan and platform, so check the vendor's page for the detail.
Sources for this page
The prices, plans, platforms and features above were read from these pages on Nov 13, 2026.