#36 in Frameworks & LibrariesUpdated 2026-08

Silex

by Silex · Open-source visual builder for static sites with CMS integration

47.9 — BenchRank score out of 100

Homepage
Pricing page

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Overview

Silex is a free/libre visual builder for static websites, maintained by the Silex Labs non-profit and licensed AGPL. It exposes HTML and CSS concepts in a drag-and-drop editor, and pages can pull dynamic content from a CMS such as WordPress, Directus or Squidex. The hosted instance at v3.silex.me stores and publishes through GitLab Pages; the whole stack can also be self-hosted.

Best for: Web professionals and agencies building multiple static sites who want an open-source visual builder
Pricing: The builder itself is $0 on the cloud, desktop and self-hosted options; managed hosting is quote-only, with consulting from €100/hour, no-code project work from €1,500 per project and custom development on quote.
Runs on: WebmacOSWindowsLinuxSelf-hostedCLI

Strengths and trade-offs

Strengths

Free under AGPL; hosted, desktop or self-hosted use
Exposes plain HTML and CSS concepts, so no vendor lock-in
Connects to WordPress, Directus and Squidex as a headless CMS
Free hosting on GitLab Pages with SSL and custom domains

Trade-offs

Free hosting inherits GitLab limits: 5 users, 10 GB, 400 CI minutes/month
Its own site says it suits neither a zero learning curve nor a 10-minute site
Strapi and Supabase integrations are listed as coming soon, not available
Desktop app with offline AI is announced but not released

Pricing

Published plans from Silex’s own pricing page, in USD. Usage charges and add-ons may apply on top.

Silex pricing tiers, monthly rates in USD
Plan	Monthly	Includes
Cloud with a free gitlab.com account	—	Standard website builder features, no ads or tracking Hosting on GitLab Pages with a custom domain CMS integrations and 11ty plugins Collaboration and versioning; suited to small teams
Desktop app	—	Works offline, no account needed Local MCP server for AI integration and local git history You host and deploy yourself (FTP, Neocities, etc.) More technical to run
Self-Hosted	—	You run Silex, GitLab, 11ty and the CMS on your own servers No GitLab tier limits; custom storage backends GrapesJS plugins, 11ty plugins, GitLab pipelines Cost is $0 plus your server
Managed Hosting	Contact sales	Hosted Silex, GitLab, 11ty and CMS stack Updates and maintenance included Dedicated support provided by Internet 2000 Multi-client, multi-tenant configuration for agencies

How this score is made up

Each dimension is scored out of 100 and combined into the headline score using fixed weights.

MCP support: 0 out of 100
API quality: 20 out of 100
Documentation: 60 out of 100
Agent friendliness: 85 out of 100
Pricing transparency: 85 out of 100
Changelog: 100 out of 100
Marketing site structure: 60 out of 100
Operational trust: 0 out of 100

Measured, but not part of the score

Useful to know, but not a mark for or against the product — so these do not affect the ranking.

Openness: 65 out of 100
Maintenance: 100 out of 100

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