Carrd
One‑page site builder for simple personal pages, portfolios, and landing pages
Btw
Open source personal website builder for instant blogging
Self-hostable personal blog platform that lets you publish beautiful websites in minutes. Deploy with Docker or use the hosted version without installation.
Overview
Publish Your Personal Blog in Minutes
btw is a personal website builder designed for writers who want a clean, fast blogging platform without complexity. Whether you choose the hosted service or self-host the open source version, you get a streamlined editor and publishing workflow that gets out of your way.
Built for Simplicity and Control
The platform offers a no-code editor for writing and publishing, with optional OTP authentication for security. Self-hosting requires only Docker and PostgreSQL, making deployment straightforward for developers. Optional S3 integration enables image uploads, while SMTP configuration supports email-based login flows.
btw serves individuals and small teams who want ownership of their content and presentation. The Docker-based architecture ensures consistent environments across development and production, while the GPL-3.0 license guarantees your freedom to modify and extend the platform. Published sites are lightweight and fast, focusing on content over complexity.
Highlights
Docker-based deployment with PostgreSQL backend for easy self-hosting
Clean editor interface optimized for writing and publishing
Optional OTP authentication and SMTP integration for secure access
S3-compatible storage support for image uploads and media management
Pros
- Simple Docker setup reduces deployment complexity
- Hosted option available for non-technical users
- GPL-3.0 license ensures full code ownership and modification rights
- Minimal configuration required to get started
Considerations
- Limited documentation and contributing guidelines currently available
- Requires technical knowledge for self-hosting setup
- Feature set is focused on blogging rather than complex site building
- Custom domain setup instructions not yet published
Managed products teams compare with
When teams consider Btw, these hosted platforms usually appear on the same shortlist.
Looking for a hosted option? These are the services engineering teams benchmark against before choosing open source.
Fit guide
Great for
- Developers wanting full control over their personal blog infrastructure
- Writers seeking a distraction-free publishing platform
- Teams needing a self-hosted alternative to Medium
- Privacy-conscious users who want to own their content and data
Not ideal when
- Non-technical users without Docker or server management experience
- Projects requiring complex multi-author workflows or permissions
- Sites needing advanced customization beyond blogging features
- Users seeking extensive themes, plugins, or marketplace ecosystems
How teams use it
Developer Portfolio Blog
Self-host a personal blog with full code control, custom domain, and S3-backed image hosting for technical articles and project showcases
Privacy-First Personal Writing
Publish essays and thoughts on your own infrastructure without third-party tracking or data collection
Team Knowledge Base
Deploy a private, OTP-protected blog for internal documentation and team updates with PostgreSQL data persistence
Quick Blog Launch
Use the hosted version to start publishing immediately without server setup, then migrate to self-hosted when ready
Tech snapshot
JavaScript72%
CSS14%
TypeScript9%
Handlebars3%
HTML2%
Dockerfile1%
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to self-host or can I use a hosted version?
Both options are available. You can sign up at btw.so to use the hosted service without installation, or self-host using the open source Docker setup.
What are the minimum requirements for self-hosting?
You need Docker, Docker Compose, a PostgreSQL instance, and optionally SMTP credentials for email-based login. Admin email and slug are the only mandatory configuration fields.
Can I use my own domain with btw?
Custom domain support is available, though detailed setup instructions are listed as coming soon in the roadmap.
Is image uploading supported?
Yes, image uploads work when you configure S3-compatible storage endpoints in your deployment settings.
What license does btw use?
btw is licensed under GPL-3.0, giving you the freedom to use, modify, and distribute the software.
Project at a glance
Active- Stars
- 1,043
- Watchers
- 1,043
- Forks
- 82
LicenseGPL-3.0
Repo age2 years old
Last commit2 months ago
Self-hostingSupported
Primary languageJavaScript
Last synced 3 hours ago