What are the benefits of using an open-source website builder?

Open-source builders offer freedom, transparency, and flexibility. You can customize everything, avoid vendor lock-in, and benefit from community support and frequent updates.

Is WordPress an open-source website builder?

Yes. WordPress is the most popular open-source CMS in the world. Paired with tools like MaxiBlocks, it becomes a powerful website builder with no licensing limits.

How does MaxiBlocks compare to other open-source builders?

MaxiBlocks stands out by offering a no-code, drag-and-drop experience built directly on top of the WordPress block editor. It includes over 2,300 free templates, responsive controls, and zero license restrictions.

Do I need coding skills to use open-source builders like MaxiBlocks?

No. Many open-source tools, including MaxiBlocks, are designed for non-technical users. You can build professional websites without writing any code.

Can I use open-source builders for client projects?

Yes. Most open-source licenses (like GPL) allow for unlimited commercial use. MaxiBlocks, for example, can be used freely across unlimited personal and client websites.

Are open-source website builders secure?

Yes—when maintained properly. Open-source builders benefit from community testing and transparency. Always use reputable plugins and themes, and keep your site updated.

Is hosting included with open-source builders?

Typically, no. Open-source builders like WordPress require you to choose your own hosting. This gives you more control and flexibility over your setup.

Can open-source builders match paid alternatives like Wix or Squarespace?

Yes. With tools like WordPress and MaxiBlocks, you can create websites that are just as polished—often with better performance, SEO, and design flexibility.

What are some examples of open-source website builders?

Popular examples include WordPress with MaxiBlocks, Joomla, Drupal, and Grav. WordPress remains the most widely adopted and user-friendly option for all skill levels.

Go free

Get cloud

Best open source website builders for your next project

Explore flexible, cost-effective tools that give you full control over your website design without locking you into one platform.

Start building for free

Explore premium designs

Why choose an open source website builder?

Choosing an open source website builder is about more than saving money. It’s about freedom and flexibility. Open source tools put designers and developers fully in charge of their work, enabling them to build websites exactly the way they want, without constraints imposed by proprietary systems. With open source, there’s no concern about surprise fees, sudden licensing changes, or losing access to essential tools when providers change their rules or pricing. Communities around these tools continually improve the software, provide documentation, and share knowledge, creating a thriving environment that helps users achieve better outcomes. Open source software also allows users to inspect and modify the underlying code directly, offering complete transparency and endless customisation possibilities.

At the forefront of open source website builders stands WordPress. Initially popularised as a blogging platform, WordPress has grown into the world’s most widely used content management system, powering millions of websites globally. Its extensive plugin ecosystem, vast library of themes, and intuitive interface have made it the top choice for designers ranging from hobbyists and small businesses to large enterprises and digital agencies. WordPress’s strength lies in its unmatched flexibility allowing designers to build websites tailored precisely to their clients’ needs, whether for blogging, eCommerce, portfolios, memberships, or more complex web applications. Its active and engaged global community ensures continuous improvements, regular security updates, and ongoing support, keeping WordPress robust, relevant, and reliable.

MaxiBlocks enhances WordPress’s power even further, offering both an open source website builder and the MaxiBlocks Go theme, which together provide a comprehensive yet flexible design system. Built directly on WordPress’s Gutenberg block editor, MaxiBlocks simplifies the website-building process by adding intuitive drag-and-drop design tools, responsive layout controls, and hundreds of professionally designed block patterns. Web designers can quickly assemble attractive and responsive websites without writing a line of code, speeding up the design process significantly. MaxiBlocks Pro adds even more depth, offering an extensive library of templates, patterns, and icons, giving designers the resources to produce high-quality websites at scale while still retaining full creative control. Being open source means MaxiBlocks encourages transparency, customisation, and collaborative innovation, helping web creators build confidently and efficiently.

Ready to switch? Get started with MaxiBlocks now!

MaxiBlocks: an open source website builder without limits

MaxiBlocks is fully committed to open source principles, offering both its powerful website builder and the versatile MaxiBlocks Go theme entirely free of charge. Unlike many other WordPress website builders, MaxiBlocks doesn’t put premium features behind paywalls or limit functionality based on pricing tiers. Web designers have unrestricted access to every feature, including a visual drag-and-drop editor, responsive design controls, style cards, and hundreds of professionally crafted block patterns. This means complete freedom for designers to create unique and attractive websites, without worrying about hidden costs or subscription fees.

A major advantage of choosing the open source site builder MaxiBlocks is that it comes without restrictions on the number of websites designers can build. Whether they’re freelancers juggling multiple client projects, agencies handling diverse portfolios, or even hobbyists experimenting with new ideas, MaxiBlocks allows unlimited website creation at no extra cost. Its open source approach encourages innovation and creativity, enabling designers to experiment freely with different layouts, styles, and functionalities. They can build as many sites as they want, confident in the knowledge that their website builder will always remain accessible, transparent, and truly free.

Another important benefit of MaxiBlocks being fully open source is transparency and community engagement. Designers and developers can freely inspect, contribute to, or customise the underlying code, aligning the software precisely with their specific needs or workflows. The community surrounding MaxiBlocks actively supports its ongoing improvement, contributing feedback, new ideas, and enhancements to keep the platform evolving. This ensures that the open source website builder MaxiBlocks continues to meet real-world needs, growing organically through collaborative efforts. With MaxiBlocks, designers not only have a robust set of tools at their fingertips, but they’re also part of a thriving, open community dedicated to improving website building for everyone.

Going open source gives you more than free software it hands you the keys to shape every part of your site, share ideas with others, and build without limits. By using open source tools, you can also tap into a community that’s eager to support and collaborate, giving you endless options to customize and enhance your website.

Community‑led innovation: Because the code lives in public, you tap straight into a worldwide brain trust. Designers and developers swap ideas on forums, turn those ideas into working code, and release updates quickly. You get new features and bug fixes as soon as they’re ready, instead of waiting for one company’s next big release.

Unlimited customisation: With the source code open, you can tweak anything you like colours, layouts, even how the database stores content. Need a feature that doesn’t exist yet? Write or adapt a plug‑in and drop it in. That freedom lets you craft a site that feels unique to your brand instead of squeezing into someone else’s template.

Lower costs: Most open source builders are free to download and use, so you can launch a new project without paying a licence fee. Any extras LIKE premium templates, hosting, specialist plug‑ins are optional add‑ons, not mandatory upgrades. Your budget stays focused on content, marketing, and client support rather than annual subscriptions.

Transparency and security: When everyone can read the code, security flaws don’t stay hidden for long. Researchers and fellow builders flag problems, share fixes, and let you verify the patch yourself. That open review process makes it easier to trust the platform with sensitive data and to reassure clients their information is safe.

Wide ecosystem support: Open standards attract a huge network of themes, extensions, and third‑party services. Whether you need SEO tools, e‑commerce integrations, or a multilingual switcher, someone has likely built a plug‑in that drops straight in. You’re free to mix and match tools without being tied to one vendor’s roadmap.

In the end, an open source website builder lets you work on your own terms with no hidden costs, no locked‑down features, just a flexible platform you can shape and grow as far as your ideas take you.

Try the free MaxiBlocks WordPress page builder

Build stunning websites faster with a modern WordPress builder that gives you creative freedom and clean, performance-optimised code. MaxiBlocks is open-source and designed to help designers, developers, and beginners create professional websites without limits.

Powerful blocks

Build anything with an ever-growing library of flexible, customisable blocks. No complexity, no limits.

Open

Instant designs

Choose from 2,000+ layouts to create beautiful pages in seconds. Just drag, drop and personalise to taste.

Limitless

Massive icon library

Enhance your design with 14,000+ built-in SVG icons and shapes. No extra plugins or licences needed.

Easy

No-code editing

See changes instantly with a visual editor. Experiment freely, design fearlessly and never touch code.

Adaptive

One-click styles

Transform multiple elements with a single click. Instantly swap between professional designs.

Fast

Design tools

Use background layers, image masks and scroll effects. Achieve bold visuals without extra software.

Unlocked

Start building for free

Explore premium designs

Comparing MaxiBlocks and Elementor

A view across five key areas, focusing on the differences between an open source website builder such as MaxiBlocks and a non open source website builders as Elementor is.

Item	MaxiBlocks	Elementor
Open source status	Fully open source, including both the website builder and the theme	Not open source; proprietary plugin built on top of WordPress
Free features	All builder features are free with no site limit	Many key features are locked behind Pro version; free version is limited
Use on multiple websites	Unlimited usage on any number of websites, including commercial projects	Free version allows this, but Pro version requires paid licences per site
Design flexibility	60–80 style options per block; full control using built-in tools	Good design tools, but some advanced controls require Pro version
Templates and patterns	Access to over 2,000 WordPress patterns and 14,000+ icons (Pro optional)	Fewer templates in free version; template kits mostly in Pro library

Build your own beautiful websites!
Get MaxiBlocks now!

Tips for getting the most out of open source and MaxiBlocks

Making the most of an open source website builder like MaxiBlocks means knowing which features help your site work better, load faster, and reach more people. These five tips will help you build a site that’s not only easy to manage but also delivers a great experience to your visitors. From speed to search, these tips focus on performance, accessibility, and everything in between.

Optimise for performance early

Start with a lightweight theme like MaxiBlocks Go and make use of the built-in performance features. Use clean blocks, avoid unnecessary plugins, and take advantage of server-side attribute storage and minified assets. These features help keep page load times low and user experience high.

Check compatibility with your existing tools

If you’re using other WordPress plugins or custom post types, test them with MaxiBlocks first. It supports ACF and dynamic content, but making sure everything works together from the beginning saves time later. Open source means flexibility, but not all plugins follow the same standards.

Use responsiveness settings for every block

MaxiBlocks gives control over six screen sizes, plus access to Flexbox and Grid. Take the time to adjust spacing, stacking, and alignment for each screen type. This ensures your site looks good on all devices desktop, tablet, and mobile.

Make your site accessible to everyone

Use accessibility tools like ARIA labels, alt text for all images, and visible focus indicators. MaxiBlocks includes these as standard, but they only help if they’re used. Accessibility isn’t just good practice it’s a signal of quality and professionalism.

Think SEO with every design choice

Add proper heading tags, structure content clearly, and avoid empty blocks or unnecessary scripts. MaxiBlocks produces clean, SEO-friendly code, but it’s up to the designer to structure the site well. Good SEO starts with good design decisions.

Success stories

Read genuine feedback from our users about their journey with MaxiBlocks

Just wanted to say this is an awesome product. Yall outdid yourselves. Designs are great and super easy to use.

Andrew_D

This is a promising great plugin that takes the WordPress Gutenberg a step forward & makes life much easier & site building more fun.

Ahrale

I picked this up on it’s first run and it’s proven to be a brilliant purchase. he team have been consistent in rolling out updates and have been helpful when I’ve sent them messages.

MarkJDraper

I bought Maxi after receiving the bill for next year of Elementor… Library of pages, elements or icons is huge. I’m building new pages in Maxi and didn’t need to learn too much.

marcin945

Read our reviews from Appsumo

Read our reviews from WordPress.org

Use case: Building a professional website for an accountancy firm using WordPress and MaxiBlocks

These days, having a website that looks good and works well on all devices isn’t just a nice-to-have it’s expected. Whether you’re running a small business or offering professional services, your website is often the first place people go to learn about you. It should be easy to navigate, reflect your brand, and be simple to keep updated. With tools like WordPress and MaxiBlocks, building a site that checks all these boxes has become more straightforward, even if you’re not a developer.

Background context: A mid-sized accountancy firm approached a local web design studio in need of a full website overhaul. Their existing site was outdated, cluttered, and not optimised for mobile, which impacted both credibility and search performance. The client wanted a professional, modern design that would reflect trust and competence. A web designer from the studio was assigned to lead the project. He chose to use WordPress alongside the open source MaxiBlocks website builder and theme to deliver a clean, responsive site that could be maintained with ease and without heavy plugin dependencies.

User actions: The designer began by installing the free MaxiBlocks Go theme and the MaxiBlocks builder. He selected patterns from the MaxiBlocks Pro library to quickly assemble the homepage and service pages, ensuring the layout was clear and easy to navigate. Each block was adjusted for responsiveness using the six available screen breakpoints. He applied consistent branding through global styles, used accessibility features such as ARIA labels and alt text, and structured the content with proper heading tags to support search engine optimisation. Contact forms and client testimonials were placed strategically to increase engagement.

Observations and results: The design process moved quickly thanks to the ready-made patterns and icons in the MaxiBlocks Pro library. Feedback from the accountancy firm was positive throughout the project, with revisions made directly in the visual editor. After launch, the site showed immediate improvements in mobile performance and user engagement. The speed of the site also improved significantly, achieving high scores on performance tools like PageSpeed Insights. The client reported a noticeable uptick in contact form submissions and found it easier to direct clients to specific -launch, reducing ongoing support demands.

Takeaway for other users: MaxiBlocks proved to be a practical and flexible solution for building professional service websites. For design studios managing client projects, it offers a fast and cost-effective way to create responsive, accessible websites without being locked into costly systems. With open source access, full feature availability, and a rich library of design tools, it supports efficient builds that meet both visual and technical standards.services on the site.

Insights and performance notes

The designer noted that MaxiBlocks integrated well into his existing WordPress workflow without introducing bloat. The builder allowed full control over layout and style without needing to write custom code, and it remained compatible with commonly used SEO and analytics plugins. The ability to customise block behaviour at each breakpoint ensured that every element looked polished across all devices. Performance was strong out of the box, and the website remained easy to update post.

This project shows how using WordPress with MaxiBlocks can help create a clean, responsive website without a lot of fuss. The designer was able to build a site that looked professional, loaded quickly, and was easy for the client to manage. For anyone looking to update their website without getting bogged down in technical details, this approach offers a practical path forward.

Win the website design competition!
Get MaxiBlocks now!

Expansion ideas and opportunities for open source website builders like MaxiBlocks

Open source website builders are well-positioned to play a growing role in shaping how people build websites. As more professionals look for control, transparency, and freedom from long-term contracts, open source tools offer a compelling alternative. There’s growing interest in collaborative development and community-driven innovation, where designers and developers contribute to improving the builder itself. This creates a feedback loop that commercial platforms often can’t match. Builders like MaxiBlocks can continue to develop by listening to the needs of the people who use them whether that’s for performance, accessibility, or more advanced design features.

Another opportunity lies in expanding integrations with third-party tools while staying true to the open source model. Businesses increasingly expect their websites to work with CRMs, analytics platforms, booking systems, and more. Open source website builders could build out lightweight, well-documented APIs and plugins that support this without creating bloated code or slowing performance. MaxiBlocks already supports ACF and dynamic content, which is a good start. By focusing on integrations that are clean and optional rather than bundled or locked behind paywalls, builders like MaxiBlocks can appeal to both technical users and designers who want to keep things simple.

There is also room for growth in offering educational content, templates, and starter kits specifically designed for different industries. For instance, pre-built sites for tradespeople, service-based professionals, or small-scale online shops could help attract new users who want to get online quickly without hiring a full design team. MaxiBlocks is already developing its Starter Sites, which is a smart step in this direction. By packaging open source tools with thoughtful, real-world design resources, builders can bridge the gap between raw potential and practical application especially for freelancers and studios building sites for clients under time and budget pressure.

WordPress_website_design_render — MaxiBlocks template library

Final thoughts

Open source website builders offer a future built on freedom, flexibility, and collaboration. They remove barriers for web designers and developers by making high-quality tools accessible without expensive licences or restrictive systems. With ongoing development driven by community needs, these builders are steadily catching up to or even overtaking some of the more established commercial alternatives. As the web evolves, the open source movement continues to offer new possibilities for those who want more control over how they build and manage their websites.

MaxiBlocks stands out by combining a fully open source builder and theme with thoughtful design features, responsive controls, and an expanding library of ready-made layouts and patterns. It’s one of the few builders that gives designers full creative freedom at no cost, while also offering a Pro library for those who want extra resources. With a focus on clean code, performance, and user-friendly tools, MaxiBlocks is helping to define what the next generation of open source website builders can be.

Discover your creative talent!
Design with MaxiBlocks now!

FAQ’s on Open source website builders

What is an open source website builder?

An open source website builder is a tool that anyone can use, access, and modify for free. It gives designers full control to customise websites without being limited by locked features or high subscription costs.

Are open source website builders suitable for professionals?

Yes. They’re a great choice for professionals, offering full design flexibility and cleaner code. They can also be used on unlimited projects, making them ideal for freelancers, agencies, and developers working across multiple client sites.

What makes MaxiBlocks different from other website builders?

MaxiBlocks is fully open source and includes both a visual builder and a free theme. All features are available with no restrictions, and you can use it to build as many websites as you like, with no extra licences required.

Does MaxiBlocks require additional plugins to work properly?

No. MaxiBlocks comes with everything you need to design and style websites. It works well with other plugins, but doesn’t depend on them, which helps keep your site lightweight and fast.

Can MaxiBlocks be used for commercial projects?

Yes. You can use MaxiBlocks for both personal and commercial sites with no limits. It’s a practical option for freelancers, agencies and anyone building websites for clients.

How does MaxiBlocks support design flexibility and responsiveness?

Each block in MaxiBlocks includes around 60 to 80 style controls. It also offers responsive layout tools across six screen sizes and supports Flexbox and Grid. You can adjust every detail for different devices without writing code.

Resources

Technical and coding

WebTNG
A helpful blog by a developer who shares insights and tutorials based on real-world experience. The goal is to give back after benefiting from others’ generosity online.

SolidWP
A company focused on WordPress security. They develop and sell trusted tools for improving site protection.

TechRadar
A well-known tech website offering buying advice, product reviews, and tutorials. Their mission is to help people understand and enjoy everyday technology.

SEO

Search Engine Journal
A respected source for SEO strategies, industry news, and expert insights into search engine marketing.

WordPress

Why WordPress?
WordPress is an ideal platform for creative freedom. It empowers both beginners and professionals to create sites that showcase their work. Artists and creatives use WordPress to build a strong online presence that goes beyond physical galleries.

This description is shared by Ultahost, a top-rated WordPress hosting provider offering services suited to creatives and businesses alike.

Learning WordPress

WordPress.org tutorials
Explore free lessons for beginners and advanced users at WordPress.org. A great place to start learning how to build your site from scratch.

Darrel Wilson on YouTube
Darrel teaches users how to make WordPress websites without needing coding knowledge. His videos focus on drag-and-drop builders and beginner-friendly design.

Jamie WP YouTube channel
Jamie creates WordPress tutorials and plugin development videos. He also offers premium courses for deeper learning, available through his website.

Open source website builders for modern web design

Find the best open source website builders for your next project with no subscriptions or lock-in required.

How to build a free WordPress website

WordPress free website builder

What is WordPress open source?

WordPress open source software

Open source builder templates

Best website builder open source

WordPress opensource page builders

Top open source builders for 2025

Websites with open source builders

No content found