Write.as
Write.as: Helps you create a blog, journal, or newsletter
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Medium Substack
Blog Software for Self and Managed Hosting
Private alternatives to Medium, Substack, vetted against our public criteria.
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Hardened If you will trade some convenience
Bludit
Bludit: Self-hosted, simple, fast, secure, flat-file CMS / Blog
No matches for those filters.
Publishing on a platform you do not control means renting your audience on terms that can change overnight. Self-hosted and privacy-respecting blog software puts the domain, the data, and the reader relationship back in your hands. These are the tools to own your words.
Why where you publish matters
On a closed platform, the host controls distribution, monetisation, and your data, and can change the rules or lock you out at any time. Owning your blog means a custom domain, a clean export, and direct ways for readers to follow you, so your audience belongs to you rather than the platform. That ownership is the entire point.
Self-hosted, managed, or flat-file
Self-hosted software gives maximum control and privacy but needs upkeep. Managed options trade some control for not maintaining a server. Flat-file systems skip the database entirely, which means a smaller attack surface and backups you can copy like any folder. Pick based on how much you want to run yourself.
What to look for
A custom domain, full data export in open formats, built-in RSS and email so readers subscribe directly, and no third-party tracking baked into the reader-facing pages. Lightweight software with few moving parts is easier to keep secure than a sprawling stack of plugins.
Frequently asked
- Self-hosted or managed?
- Self-hosted gives you the most control and privacy but you maintain the server. Managed hosting trades some control for not having to run anything. If you are not sure, start managed and move to self-hosted later; a clean export makes that easy.
- Can readers subscribe without an account?
- Yes. These tools support RSS, and most support email newsletters, so readers can follow you directly without signing up for a platform. You own that subscriber list rather than renting reach from an algorithm.
- Do I need to know how to code?
- Not for the managed and flat-file options, which are aimed at writers. Self-hosting takes a little technical comfort, but the lighter systems here are deliberately simple to set up and keep running.