A startup from the United States.
Open Source
WriteFreely is open source, allowing users to inspect, modify, and contribute to the code. This fosters transparency and community-driven improvements.
Privacy-Focused
The platform places a high emphasis on user privacy, with features that avoid tracking and unnecessary data collection, providing a more secure writing environment.
Minimalistic Interface
WriteFreely offers a clean, distraction-free interface, enabling writers to focus on their content without unnecessary frills.
Federated
WriteFreely supports the ActivityPub protocol, which allows integration with other federated platforms like Mastodon, broadening reach and interaction.
Self-Hosting Option
Users have the option to self-host their WriteFreely instance, providing greater control over their data and customization.
Promote WriteFreely. You can add any of these badges on your website.
It is siple to use, the words are the center:)
Overall, WriteFreely is a good option for individuals seeking a lightweight, privacy-focused writing platform. Its open-source nature and community-driven development add to its appeal.
We have collected here some useful links to help you find out if WriteFreely is good.
Check the traffic stats of WriteFreely on SimilarWeb. The key metrics to look for are: monthly visits, average visit duration, pages per visit, and traffic by country. Moreoever, check the traffic sources. For example "Direct" traffic is a good sign.
Check the "Domain Rating" of WriteFreely on Ahrefs. The domain rating is a measure of the strength of a website's backlink profile on a scale from 0 to 100. It shows the strength of WriteFreely's backlink profile compared to the other websites. In most cases a domain rating of 60+ is considered good and 70+ is considered very good.
Check the "Domain Authority" of WriteFreely on MOZ. A website's domain authority (DA) is a search engine ranking score that predicts how well a website will rank on search engine result pages (SERPs). It is based on a 100-point logarithmic scale, with higher scores corresponding to a greater likelihood of ranking. This is another useful metric to check if a website is good.
The latest comments about WriteFreely on Reddit. This can help you find out how popualr the product is and what people think about it.
And it's very easy to start with something that is also "social": - https://write.as - a https://writefreely.org instance that also syncs with Mastodon, so people can see/discover/subscribe/ comment on your posts without extra hassle of setting up comments or other privacy invading tools. - https://bearblog.dev - just text, very simple and quick to get started. - Source: Hacker News / 8 months ago
When looking for something more dynamic, I initially though about using Plume, since it's easy to integrate with some applications I plan to deploy later, but unfortunately it's not well maintained anymore. As Ghost or Wordpress seem overkill, I ended up opting for the conveniences of WriteFreely: it lets me create and edit posts in-place, with Markdown support and no need to upload new files. However, that comes... - Source: dev.to / almost 2 years ago
From the top of my head: https://ghost.org/ https://writefreely.org/. - Source: Hacker News / almost 2 years ago
Mastodon is a microblogging service, so not meant for large bodies of text. This is why the text entry box is small, the columns are somewhat narrow (especially in deck mode) etc. Platforms like https://writefreely.org/ , which are designed to be for blogging and long-form writing, are the place to write this. Write Freely federates so one can follow accounts and interact with posts via Mastodon etc. - Source: Hacker News / over 2 years ago
An alternative to Plume is WriteFreely, which is a pretty clean & simple experience. Just don't expect to much regarding customization. Source: about 3 years ago
And since you've mentioned you want to write a blog, take a look at WriteFreely: https://writefreely.org/. Source: about 3 years ago
I'm not sure what you've tried to install, but WriteFreely is Open Source and thus free of charge. There is commercial hosting of it, eg. write.as, but with those you don't have to worry about installing it. Source: about 3 years ago
Instead of joining a Mastodon server, have you considered joining a write.freely server? Write.freely is a decentralized platform for writers that integrates the ActivityPub protocol, so anyone in the Fediverse can interact with your posts. This may be more well suited for your needs, although if you still want to join a Mastodon server there are many good answers in this thread. Source: over 3 years ago
Lastly, and this isn't Mastodon, but if you want to write long form content on the Fediverse, you might want to check out Write Freely. It's kinda like Medium, but your posts live in the Fediverse. Source: over 3 years ago
If you're looking to publish long form content, you should also look at Write Freely. It's a blogging platform where the fediverse is baked in from the start. The plug-in you found will work great, especially when paired with a Mastodon instance. But it might be worth a look if you haven't seen it already. (That said it sounds like you want to deeply structure your content, so Write Freely might not be enough for... Source: over 3 years ago
I have been considering https://write.as/ and https://writefreely.org/ I am trying to determine how private is write.as and how difficult is writefreely.org. Source: over 3 years ago
I have WriteFreely bookmarked after seeing it mentioned on this subreddit in the past for similar features. I haven't had the chance to spin it up yet, so I unfortunately can't offer any personal experiences. Source: over 3 years ago
>Mastodon doesnโt speak for decentralization That's kind of the point, IMHO. Mastodon doesn't speak for decentralization, it is decentralized. And that's not really splitting hairs here, it's an important distinction. I could set up a Mastodon instance (although Writefreely[1] and Pixelfed[2] are more my speed) that advocated for centralized everything. I could even ban folks who... - Source: Hacker News / over 3 years ago
You could! But you don't have to start your own instance unless you want to... You can also make an account on someone else's instance. You might also consider joining or starting an instance that is more writing-focused (like a WriteFreely instance, instead of Mastodon) if you want to upload the novel itself. Source: over 3 years ago
Https://write.as/ to publish on Fediverse (or https://writefreely.org for Self Hosted instance)? - Source: Hacker News / over 3 years ago
Aren't https://writefreely.org and https://joinplu.me like this. - Source: Hacker News / over 3 years ago
A better solution would be to use a macroblogging platform (that's also on the fediverse) such as writefreely to make the entire post at once, and then boosting it using the Mastodon account. Source: over 3 years ago
Does anyone have experience working this into their blog? https://writefreely.org/ and https://microblog.pub/ are two examples of what I'm thinking of, but I'm wondering if there are other options and/or ways to bolt the functionality on without being opinionated about your blog's implementation. I love the idea that my blog could have Mastodon posts, that my posts are Mastodon posts, that replies are comments,... - Source: Hacker News / over 3 years ago
I'm a fan of WriteFreely [0] as a no-frills blogging platform. So far it's had negligible resource use, and I like that it looks like a stripped down Medium or Substack without the social features. It takes Markdown formatting so it's not fully WYSIWYG, but it autosaves so it's easy to jump back and forth between the draft and its preview. Oh and there's decent support for MathJax though you need to enable it in... - Source: Hacker News / over 3 years ago
I don't know if this is the right subreddit, because it has no description. I am talking about WriteFreely. Source: almost 4 years ago
Https://writefreely.org is my favorite and very easy to get running. It supports multiple users with multiple blogs and custom CSS. Source: about 4 years ago
WriteFreely has garnered significant attention as a compelling alternative within the blogging platform landscape, targeting users seeking a minimalist and distraction-free writing environment. Its open-source nature, simplicity, and integration within the Fediverse have been consistently highlighted in user discussions and analysis, making it stand out as an appealing option for many users.
Simplicity and Usability
A significant portion of the user commentary revolves around its clean and easy-to-use interface. WriteFreely is designed as a no-frills platform, which makes it particularly suitable for writers who prioritize content creation over complex features or customization options. Users praise its versatile Markdown support for formatting, allowing writers to focus on their text without additional clutter. The platformโs ability to facilitate in-place editing further enhances its accessibility for a broad range of users, from beginners to seasoned bloggers.
Open Source and Cost-Effectiveness
The open-source model of WriteFreely provides users with the freedom to self-host their instances, thus avoiding centralized control, a principal appeal within communities advocating for decentralized technologies. The prospect of cost-effective blogging, devoid of licensing fees, has been a key draw for those who wish to maintain their independence in the blogging world. Additionally, commercial hosting options such as write.as extend the platform's appeal to those who prefer managed solutions over manual installations.
ActivityPub Integration and Community Engagement
One of WriteFreely's distinct advantages is its seamless integration with the ActivityPub protocol, enabling interaction with the expansive Fediverse. This integration facilitates connectivity with users on platforms like Mastodon, allowing for content discovery and engagement within a decentralized network. This feature sets it apart from competitors who do not offer such federated communication capabilities, positioning WriteFreely as a strong contender for those interested in leveraging the social aspects of decentralized publishing.
Drawbacks and Considerations
Despite its strengths, certain limitations have been noted by users. For instance, the requirement for a MySQL-compatible database for self-hosting is seen as a barrier by some, contrasting with more lightweight database solutions employed by other platforms. Moreover, the lack of sophisticated customization and automatic image handling could deter users seeking advanced features or a visual-centric blogging experience.
Positioning Among Competitors
In comparison to its competitors like Ghost, Medium, and Tumblr, WriteFreely is typically chosen by users valuing simplicity and a distraction-free writing environment over advanced feature sets. Its minimalist approach is often seen as an advantage for those dedicated to writing without the encumbrance of social network features or a highly stylized interface found in other platforms.
In conclusion, WriteFreely captures a niche audience on the lookout for a straightforward, federated blogging platform, balancing the ethos of decentralized, user-owned media with essential blogging functionalities. While it may not suit everyone, particularly those who need extensive customization, it remains a solid choice for writers who value simplicity and open-source flexibility.
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