Is there an open-source alternative to WordPress for Rails?

Yes — ActiveCanvas, Spina CMS, and Alchemy CMS. They all mount into an application you already run, so there is no second deployment and no second database.

How do I replace WordPress in a Rails app?

Add active_canvas to your Gemfile, mount it in config/routes.rb at /canvas, and run its migrations. The whole integration is two lines and a migration.

How much does replacing WordPress save?

WordPress is priced free; managed hosting from $25/mo. The engines here are open source, so the cost becomes the time to mount one and the resources it uses inside your existing application.

Replace WordPress

Usually bolted onto a product as a second application, a second stack and a second set of security updates.

WordPress website Free; managed hosting from $25/mo Content

Why teams move off WordPress

WordPress bolted onto a Rails app is a second stack, a second host and a second security surface — for the ability to edit a paragraph.

What you give up

The plugin ecosystem, which is both the reason to use it and the reason not to.

This directory says so when an engine only covers part of the job. A replacement that needs a caveat is still worth knowing about — it just should not surprise you in week three.

Drop-in replacement

WordPress → active_canvas

# Gemfile
gem "active_canvas"

# config/routes.rb
mount ActiveCanvas::Engine, at: "/canvas"

Read about ActiveCanvas →

3 Rails engines that replace WordPress

Questions

Is there an open-source alternative to WordPress for Rails?: Yes — ActiveCanvas, Spina CMS, and Alchemy CMS. They all mount into an application you already run, so there is no second deployment and no second database.
What do I give up by replacing WordPress?: The plugin ecosystem, which is both the reason to use it and the reason not to.
How do I replace WordPress in a Rails app?: Add active_canvas to your Gemfile, mount it in config/routes.rb at /canvas, and run its migrations. The whole integration is two lines and a migration.
How much does replacing WordPress save?: WordPress is priced free; managed hosting from $25/mo. The engines here are open source, so the cost becomes the time to mount one and the resources it uses inside your existing application.

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