Carrd
One‑page site builder for simple personal pages, portfolios, and landing pages
Silex
Build static websites visually, then fine‑tune with code.
Silex lets you design responsive static sites with a drag‑and‑drop editor, then add custom HTML, CSS, or JavaScript, and deploy on your own server.
Overview
Overview
Silex is a visual website builder that empowers freelancers, agencies, and developers to create static HTML sites without writing code. Its drag‑and‑drop interface handles layout, while built‑in HTML, CSS, and JavaScript editors let you refine any element when deeper control is needed.
Extensibility & Deployment
The platform includes a plugin architecture compatible with Node.js, browsers, and common module systems, enabling integration with headless CMSs, static site generators, and other tools. Silex can be self‑hosted via Docker, a Node.js server, or helpers for CapRover, Yunohost, and similar environments, giving you full ownership of your workflow and data.
Community & Ecosystem
As free/libre software, Silex benefits from an active community that contributes plugins, templates, and documentation. The meta repository aggregates all related packages, simplifying contribution and workspace management through Yarn or npm workspaces.
Highlights
Visual drag‑and‑drop editor for instant site layout
Integrated HTML, CSS, and JavaScript editors for custom code
Extensible plugin system supporting Node.js and browser environments
Self‑hosting options via Docker, Node.js, CapRover, Yunohost, etc.
Pros
- No‑code creation speeds up prototyping
- Code editors allow precise customisation
- Generates fast, secure static HTML output
- Open‑source community provides plugins and support
Considerations
- Only static sites; no built‑in server‑side logic
- Advanced plugins may require JavaScript expertise
- Interface can feel dated compared with newer SaaS builders
- Self‑hosting requires basic DevOps knowledge
Managed products teams compare with
When teams consider Silex, 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
- Freelancers needing quick client websites
- Web studios that reuse templates across projects
- Developers who start visually then add custom code
- Teams requiring on‑premise hosting for privacy
Not ideal when
- Projects that need dynamic back‑ends or databases
- Large e‑commerce platforms with complex server logic
- Users seeking AI‑driven design suggestions
- Organizations that require commercial support contracts
How teams use it
Freelancer portfolio
Launch a responsive static portfolio in hours, with custom CSS tweaks for branding.
Agency client landing page
Create a drag‑and‑drop layout, then embed custom JavaScript for analytics and interactions.
On‑premise documentation portal
Deploy via Docker on a private server, keeping all documentation data in‑house.
JAMStack blog with headless CMS
Use Silex plugins to pull content from a headless CMS, generate static pages with SEO metadata.
Tech snapshot
JavaScript75%
Shell25%
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to know code to use Silex?
No. The visual editor works entirely without code, but you can open the HTML, CSS, or JavaScript editors whenever you want more control.
Can I host the builder myself?
Yes. Silex provides a Dockerfile, a Node.js server, and deployment helpers for platforms like CapRover and Yunohost.
Is the output purely static HTML?
Exactly. Silex generates static files that can be served from any static web host.
How does Silex integrate with other tools?
Through its plugin system. There are plugins for headless CMSs, static site generators, and GrapesJS extensions.
Where can I get community support?
Support is available via GitHub discussions, the issue tracker, and the Silex forums.
Project at a glance
Active- Stars
- 2,702
- Watchers
- 2,702
- Forks
- 638
LicenseAGPL-3.0
Repo age12 years old
Last commit2 weeks ago
Self-hostingSupported
Primary languageJavaScript
Last synced 2 days ago