Silex review

Silex is a free, open-source visual builder for static websites. It lets you design a site visually while working with HTML and CSS concepts, rather than treating the page as a closed template. The project is maintained by the nonprofit Silex Labs and is licensed under AGPL.

The builder can publish and host sites, or you can self-host Silex and choose your own deployment setup. For content that changes, Silex can connect to WordPress, Strapi, Squidex, Supabase or your own API. Those integrations add a CMS or data source; Silex itself is still positioned as a static-site builder.

There are three routes in the listed offer: use Cloud with a free GitLab account, deploy with the desktop app, or self-host. The desktop app is in alpha, with experimental local-first features. The pricing page lists it at €0 forever and says it works offline without an account.

Silex’s appeal is the choice it gives teams that want visual editing without committing to a proprietary, hosted website stack. You can keep working with web standards, connect a CMS for dynamic content, and decide where the builder and published site run.

The pricing page lists three free paths, each aimed at a different setup:

• Cloud with a free GitLab account: $0 forever, with a custom domain and no advertising or tracking. It is listed for small teams using GitLab Pages.
• Desktop app: €0 forever, with offline use, no account requirement, all Silex features, a local MCP server, and deployment to FTP or Neocities.
• Self-hosted: $0 for Silex, plus your server costs. The page lists no GitLab user or storage limits, custom storage backends, GrapesJS and 11ty plugins, and GitLab pipelines.

That makes Silex worth considering if you already have a deployment workflow or want to own more of the infrastructure. CMS choices include WordPress, Strapi, Squidex, Supabase and your own API, so teams are not restricted to one named CMS.

The free Cloud route comes with concrete GitLab caps: the pricing page lists a maximum of five GitLab users per private group, 400 CI/CD minutes per month and 10 GB of storage. Those limits may be a poor fit for a larger team or a site with heavier build and storage needs. The page does not list a paid plan with higher Cloud limits.

Self-hosting removes the listed GitLab user and storage limits, but it is not cost-free in practice: the offer is $0 plus your server costs, and the amount depends on infrastructure you arrange separately. Managed hosting is available through partners, but pricing is not published. Training, support and consulting prices are also not published; custom development is on quote.

The desktop app is still in alpha, so its local-first features are experimental. And while CMS connections can support dynamic content, Silex is described as a static-site builder, not an all-in-one hosted CMS. The pricing page lists no monthly or annual billing for paid plans, and no paid service price to compare against a hosted builder.

Silex’s listed options start at $0, but the free cloud plan comes with a small-team ceiling. According to the pricing page, Cloud with a free GitLab account costs $0 forever and includes a custom domain, no ads or tracking, up to five GitLab users per private group, 400 CI/CD minutes a month and 10 GB of storage. The next option is not a paid tier: the desktop app is listed at 0 € forever, works offline and has no account requirement.

Self-Hosted is also listed at $0, but you pay for your own server. It removes GitLab user and storage limits and includes custom storage backends, GrapesJS and 11ty plugins, and GitLab pipelines. So the cost jump is from free to infrastructure costs—not a published Silex subscription. Monthly and annual paid-plan prices aren’t published. Training, workshops, support and consulting have no listed prices; custom development is by quote, and managed hosting requires contacting partners.

Silex suits teams building static sites who are comfortable with HTML and CSS concepts. Its listed CMS connections include WordPress, Strapi, Squidex, Supabase and custom APIs, so moving a site with dynamic content may also mean reconnecting its CMS or API. The published material doesn’t describe a migration tool, import formats or a guaranteed export path; confirm those details before moving a production site.

Silex is open source, uses web standards and can be self-hosted, which gives teams more control over where the builder runs. But that doesn’t establish that every design or CMS connection transfers cleanly to another platform. The cloud option depends on GitLab Pages and has limits of five GitLab users per private group, 400 CI/CD minutes a month and 10 GB of storage. Self-hosting avoids those GitLab caps, but adds server costs and responsibility. The published material includes no Reddit posts, so we can’t substantiate why users leave Silex or what migration issues they report.