An open-source CMS, written in Rust
Stop patching the past. Start compiling the future.
Neopress keeps what made WordPress great and replaces the engine underneath. We're building it in the open, and we'd like you to help.
$
git clone https://github.com/neopress/neopress.git
Plate I
Oxide Sun
The manifesto
Why we're starting again
WordPress built the modern web and gave millions a platform. We are preserving the open web, but we are replacing its engine.
The Pioneer's Plateau
The technology that democratized publishing is held back by decades of technical debt.
The Fragile Foundation
Stacked plugins, colliding third-party code and constant patching. A versatile platform should never sacrifice safety.
Safety, Speed, and a Clean Slate
Built in Rust so classic exploits simply cannot compile. Speed is native to the architecture.
The Architecture of Tomorrow
One unified stack for frontend, backend and database, with native MCP so AI agents can work safely inside the CMS.
The Engine the Web Deserves
A pragmatic reset for developers tired of spaghetti code and creators who want a platform that is secure by default.
A versatile platform should never sacrifice basic safety and stability.
From the Neopress manifesto
Roadmap
Where we are, honestly
Neopress is early. This is the order we plan to build things in. Each milestone is planned and discussed in public issues before anyone writes code.
0.1
Core and editor
Content model, storage, the block editor and a single-binary server.
In progress
0.2
Themes
Compiled templates and the default "Broadsheet" theme. Night edition is included from the start.
Up next
0.3
Crates
Plugins compiled to WebAssembly and run in a sandbox, so one bad plugin can't take the site down.
Planned
0.4
WordPress import
Posts, media, users and shortcodes from a standard WordPress export file.
Planned
0.5
MCP workspace
Let your AI agents build features, write boilerplate and change settings, with permissions you control.
Planned
1.0
First stable release
When the people running real sites on it tell us it's ready.
Planned
Design preview
What we're building toward
These screens come from our design work, not from shipped software. They show the direction, and they're open for feedback like everything else.
The editor
Familiar blocks, typed underneath
If you've used the WordPress block editor, you'll know your way around. The difference is underneath: every block has a type, so content keeps its structure in the editor, the feed and the API.
Design preview
neopress.local/desk/posts/the-quiet-web
Crates
Plugins that can't break each other
Crates are compiled to WebAssembly and each one runs in its own sandbox with only the permissions it asks for. We want plugins to stop being the riskiest part of running a site.
Design preview
neopress.local/desk/crates
The command line
From export file to running site
Install with Cargo, create a site, bring your WordPress archive and serve it. That's the whole flow we're aiming for.
Design preview
~/sites/quietweb
Get involved
Bring what you know
You don't need to write Rust to help. Many of our most useful contributions will come from people who have run WordPress sites for years.
Write code
Pick an issue labelled "good first issue", or take on a part of the core. Every pull request gets a review from a maintainer.
Good first issues →
Tell us what hurts
Which plugins can't you live without? What breaks on every update? Your experience decides what we build first.
Start a discussion →
Test the import
Once 0.4 lands, run your own WordPress export through the importer and tell us what didn't come across.
Report an import issue →
Shape themes and the desk
Help us design the default theme, the editor and the admin. The brand guide and design files are public.
Browse the design files →
Write the docs
Guides, tutorials and translations. If something confused you, it's probably confusing others too, so write down what you learned.
Improve the docs →
Follow along
Star the repository and watch releases. Every milestone is planned in public, so you can see what's decided and why.
Watch on GitHub →
How we work
Built in public, from day one
Plate V
Night Edition
Decisions happen on GitHub
Big changes start as a written proposal in a public discussion. Anyone can comment before work begins, and the reasoning stays on record.
Respect the pioneer
We wouldn't exist without WordPress and the people who built it. We criticise architecture, never people or communities.
Quality over a big marketplace
We'd rather have fifty crates that are safe and well maintained than fifty thousand that fight each other.
Show the numbers
If we say it's fast, we publish the benchmark and the method so anyone can run it themselves.
Be kind, be specific
Everyone who takes part agrees to our code of conduct. Clear, friendly feedback helps more than clever feedback.