Wysiwyg, a web design software, is an open source project licensed under the GPLv2. The software is written in JavaScript and works on all operating systems, including Windows, Mac OS X and Linux.
The application allows you to create websites by using drag-and-drop functionality. You can also add images and text effects to your web page by using the visual editor provided by Wysiwyg. The software provides a built-in FTP client for uploading files to your web server.
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Open Source Web Design Software Wysiwyg
Not all that many years ago, pretty much every webpage on the Internet was, at some level, designed painstakingly by hand. It was tough, and before CSS really took hold and became well supported across most common browsers, it often involved hacking a layout together by using HTML tables in a way they were never really envisioned to support.
While some designers developed workflows completely based around manual editing of raw HTML files, the WYSIWYG (what you see is what you get) editor began to emerge as a tool of empowerment to millions of amateur and professional designers who didn’t know, or at least hadn’t mastered, the art of hypertext markup.
Products like CoffeeCup, HotDog, FrontPage, GoLive, and many others filled the market, and many web-based WYSIWYG editors emerged as well. Among the more successful was Macromedia (later Adobe) Dreamweaver, which was among my personal favorites for many years.
These web authoring tools weren’t just about WYSIWYG editing; even for those who were comfortable with direct authoring of markup language, these tools offered advantages with template control, file management, and simply reducing the time it takes to create functional code.
But just as these helpful editors were expanding access to webpage creation, something else was happening too. Content management systems like Drupal and WordPress (and many, many others before them) displaced the need for the average content producer to need to edit raw HTML at all. You could easily make a functional website without even worrying about the underlying markup.
So did the rise of the content management system change the web? Absolutely. Did it eliminate the need to hand code HTML? Well, for some people, yes. But as the web moved from a collection of content to a platform for applications, just as many new opportunities have arisen for doing markup. Every software as a service application, every social media network, and even many mobile applications rely on HTML and CSS to render their display. And those content management systems? They still need templates to function.
And though many helpful libraries exist to standardize and simplify the web development process, coding for the web isn’t being displaced any time soon. Proprietary tools are still common, but there is a rich collection of open source alternatives out there. Here are some you should consider.
1. BlueGriffon
BlueGriffon is an open source WYSIWYG editor powered by Gecko, the rendering engine developed for Mozilla Firefox. One of a few derivatives of NVU, a now-discontinued HTML editor, BlueGriffon is the only actively developed NVU derivative that supports HTML5 as well as modern components of CSS. If your goal is to write as little actual HTML as possible, then BlueGriffon is the tool you want. It’s a true drag-and-drop WYSIWYG website designer, and even includes a dual view option so you can see the code behind your design, in case you want to edit it or just learn from it.
It also supports the EPUB ebook format, so you don’t have to just publish to the web: you can provide your readers with a download of your content that they can take with them. Licensed under the MPL, GPL, and LGPL, a version of BlueGriffon is available for Linux, Windows, and Mac.
2. Aptana Studio
Aptana Studio is an “open source development tool for the open web” which, in practice, means it’s more of an advanced IDE specializing in web development. Based on the open source Eclipse project, Aptana Studio features tools for assisting in HTML and CSS authoring, including code coloring and completion, debugging, and outlining of documents. Its main selling point is its JavaScript support, making it a strong tool for developing more complex web applications.
3. NetBeans
NetBeans is a widely used software development platform for building web, mobile, and desktop applications with Java, JavaScript, HTML5, and more. It has been supported by Oracle (and its predecessor, Sun) since 1999, and in October 2016 moved to the Apache Foundation for open governance, and simplified and streamlined community contributions. Netbeans isn’t exactly a drag-and-drop web design application, but it’s a robust web-aware IDE. It’s a great choice if you’re developing web apps, or if you just enjoy coding for the web.
4. SeaMonkey
SeaMonkey is a community continuation of what was once a Mozilla-produced internet application suite. While Mozilla decided to narrow its focus to individual projects, SeaMonkey continues to make regular releases of its full suite, which includes SeaMonkey Composer, a simple WYSIWYG HTML editor. You’d struggle to do advanced layouts with Composer (for instance, you can’t adjust the CSS display or property to create a two column text and image pair, but would have to use a non-responsive table instead), but for basic pages with zero code written, this is a realistic option.
5. Aloha Editor
Aloha Editor is a JavaScript-based WYSIWYG HTML5 editor that allows users to edit content in the same layout that readers view it. This is a pretty unique model, as it’s not exactly an application itself, but embeds an editor into your HTML page. It requires a Node.js stack, so if you’re not a developer familiar with Javascript then it can be difficult to configure. However, if you’re a site admin looking for an easy editing interface for your users to make quick updates to their pages, then you should say “aloha” to Aloha.
6. WordPress
The open source content management service (CMS) and blogging platform, WordPress, features a structured yet flexible page layout interface. It lets you create blog posts and pages with just enough flexibility to let your creativity thrive, and with just enough restriction to ensure that your creation renders correctly in all browsers. With WordPress, you can have choose your desired level of complexity at every step. You can self-host it using their famous 5-minute install method, or you can buy hosting from Wordpress.com. You can use the drag-and-drop designer to create pages, or you can hack on HTML and PHP yourself. You can choose a contributed theme or you can design and create your own. It’s a great resource for anyone who wants to run a website.
7. Try an advanced text editor
While not necessarily the best for beginners, a number of text editors provide additional functionality that is incredibly useful to those editing HTML/CSS documents. When used side-by-side with a modern browser with built-in debugging tools, you may be just as productive with one of these as you are with a more dedicated solution. Some of our favorites include:
- Atom describes itself as a “hackable text editor for the 21st century.” Developed by GitHub, it has support for HTML and CSS out of the box and many additional plugins available.
- Brackets is a JavaScript-based text editor developed by Adobe for web design and frontend development. It touts its inline editor, live preview, and preprocessor support functions for making it easier to do web design in the browser.
- Vim or Emacs. Without participating in the holy war between these two traditional text editors, I can safely say that there are a number of enhancements for web editing available for both. So if you’re already a terminal junkie, take your pick. Or, if those don’t satisfy, try one of these Emacs/Vim alternatives.
open source web design templates
We all think that premium templates are the way to go when creating a professional website, but that’s not exactly true. There are lots of free website templates that offer premium features and customization options and will help you achieve incredible results completely free of charge!
Today we put together a list of 25 of our favorite open source website templates that are super powerful and easy to use. If you’re just starting out with your business or want to experiment with different looks and features, then you’re more than welcomed to take a look through our list and find your favorite template!
Click – Free Responsive HTML5 Photography Template
Click is a very simple but incredibly powerful HTML5 website template created with photographers in mind. Click was designed and coded using HTML5, CSS3, Bootstrap 3 and jQuery for amazing results. This is a simple one-page template that will help you showcase your work and share your story with the world. It comes with awesome options for displaying your photos and even a fullscreen option!
Open Source Website Template Photography TemplatePin
Meatking – A Free Restaurant Website Bootstrap Template
If you have a restaurant or any other food-related business and want to create a stunning and fully functional website, then Meatking is the perfect solution for you. This template was built using the awesome Bootstrap framework so you can rest assured that your website will look and work great on all devices, screen sizes and browsers. Meatking even comes with cool CSS3 animations that will help you create a website that stands out from the rest!
Open Source Website Template MeatkingPin
Spectral – A Free Mobile Friendly HTML5 Template
Next on our list is Spectral – the perfect HTML5 template for any photographer, artist, illustrator, painter etc. This is an awesome choice if you want to create an eye-catching website where you can present your work in a professional way. Spectral is based on the Skep framework and it has a fully responsive and mobile-friendly layout. You can use Spectral completely free of charge for your personal or commercial projects!
Spectral Open Source Website TemplatePin
JohnDoe – Free One Page Portfolio Website Bootstrap Template
As a freelancer, a perfectly organized and eye-catching website is a must if you want to attract new clients. We suggest you take a look at JohnDoe – a free one-page portfolio template created on top of Bootstrap that comes with a great design and lots of awesome features. John Doe has a very simple, classic but effective layout that will impress your clients and will make them come back for more! You can also add some nice CSS3 and jQuery animations to your portfolio!
JohnDoe Open Source Website TemplatePin
Boxer – Software Landing Page Free HTML5 Template
If you still haven’t found the perfect HTML5 template for your ideas and projects, then we think Boxer might be a great option for you. This is a great landing page template that will work perfectly for any software presentation. It was created using HTML5, CSS3, jQuery and Bootstrap so you will get a lot of great functionality completely free of charge! Boxer also comes with a fully working Contact Form that will help you get in touch with your visitors and clients!
Boxer Open Source Website TemplatePin
Robot – Free Bootstrap Multipage Product Showcase Template
Robot Factory is an awesome multipage template that can be successfully used for product showcasing without any costs! This template was built using Bootstrap and it comes with a stunning design and lots of useful features that will make your life easier. Robot will always look and work perfectly on any device, screen size and browser and it’s also perfect for online shops and product landing pages!
Robot Open Source Website TemplatePin
Euro Travel – Free Responsive Travel Agency HTML5 Bootstrap Template
If you’re a travel agency or any other travel-related industry person and you’re looking for the ideal HTML5 Bootstrap template that will help you achieve a great website for your business, then you’re in the right place. Tourism is one of the biggest industries in the world so we know that competition’s tight. Euro Travel is the perfect choice if you want to create a fully responsive website that will stand out from the crowd!
Euro Travel Open Source Website TemplatePin
Ghughu – Free Startup Agency Website Bootstrap Template
Next on our list is Ghughu, a very simple but powerful Bootstrap template designed with startup agencies in mind. You can download this template for free and use it to bring your projects and ideas to life! Ghughu was designed and coded using HTML5, Bootstrap 3, CSS3 and jQuery so you can rest assured that you’ll get professional results. This template comes with a clean but effective design with great color and font choices and amazing UI & UX.
Ghughu Open Source Website TemplatePin
FrontEnd – Best Free Multipurpose Bootstrap Corporate Business Template
Here we have FrontEnd, one of the best Bootstrap Business templates that can be used for countless purposes completely free of charge! This template is super flexible and simple which means you can use the same free template to achieve countless different results. FrontEnd comes with 6 already-created pages that are very easy to use and customize.
FrontEnd Open Source Website TemplatePin
Airspace – Free Responsive Bootstrap Business Agency Template
Another great example of a completely free Bootstrap template is Airspace – this awesome template was created specifically for agencies. It has such a versatile design that we’re sure you can also use it for personal or commercial portfolios or any other kind of business. One of the best things about Airspace is that it can be used even by people who don’t have any coding knowledge or experience!
Airspace Open Source Website TemplatePin
AppLayers – Free Responsive Bootstrap App Landing HTML5 Template
Looking for the perfect one-page Bootstrap template for your app? AppLayers is your answer! This is a fully responsive Landing Page template for your next app. You can download this template and use it for free for any idea or project you may have in mind. Even though it’s a free template, it comes with many premium features and elements that will help you create a professional website that fits all your needs.
AppLayers Open Source Website TemplatePin
Sulfer – Free Multipage Multipurpose Bootstrap Template
If you’re searching for the most modern and powerful Bootstrap template that you can use completely free of charge, then we suggest taking a look at Sulfer. Sulfer has a very minimalistic but effective design that will help you get your website up and running in minutes! Sulfer was built with HTML5 and we strongly recommend it for any portfolio, creative agency, entertainment or for anyone else that wants a creative website that’s both beautiful and fully functional!
Sulfer Open Source Website TemplatePin
BizPage – Responsive, Free, and Seamless Bootstrap 4 Business Template
Here we have BizPage, another great example of a fully responsive business template that was created with Bootstrap 4 and it’s completely free to use. Bizpage comes with a stunning one-page layout and many features that will help you create an unforgettable experience for your visitors and clients. This template was created with HTML5 and Bootstrap 4 so it has a fully responsive and mobile-friendly layout that can be easily customized to fit your needs and desires!
BizPage Open Source Website TemplatePin
Mountain – Small Startup Agency Bootstrap Free Template
Next on our list is this amazing Bootstrap template created specifically for small startups and entrepreneurs. Mountain is super easy to use and it will allow you the possibility to create a great website very fast in easy. This powerful template can be used for anyone, regardless if they have any coding experience or not.
Mountain Open Source Website TemplatePin
Massively – Free Responsive Blogging HTML5 Bootstrap Template
Massively is our recommendation for any blogger that’s just starting his/hers first blog and wants to experiment and create a very easy and effective website. Massively offers you the chance to create a great blog completely free of charge where you’ll be able to share your amazing stories with the world. This template comes with great design options and a fully responsive layout that’s also mobile-friendly and very easy to customize.
Massively Open Source Website TemplatePin
Made Two – A Business HTML5 template Free Download in 2017
Made Two is the perfect business HTML5 template that you can use completely free of charge to create wonderful and fully functional websites for your business. We’re sure that, after seeing the design options and incredible features that this free template offers, you won’t need anything else! Made Two also comes with a fully responsive layout that will always work perfectly regardless of the device or screen size!
Made Two Open Source Website TemplatePin
Invention – A free HTML5 Bootstrap template for an unconventional website 2017
If you’re searching for the perfect HTML5 website template that will easily convert visitors into future clients, then we suggest you take a peek at Invention. This is the perfect choice for any creative and unconventional website you might think of. Invention can be used for free for any kind of project you might have in mind and you can be sure you’ll get professional results every single time.
Invention Open Source Website TemplatePin
Exigo – Free Creative HTML5 One-page Bootstrap Template
The Exigo is another cool example of a free HTML5 portfolio template. It’s one of the greatest examples out there if minimal and effective is what you’re looking for. Exigo will look great on any mobile device too, thanks to the fully responsive and flexible layout! We strongly recommend this to any photographer, designer, illustrator, blogger and even small businesses that want to establish a strong online presence with minimum effort!
Exigo Open Source Website TemplatePin
Vira – Free One Page Office Startup Agency Bootstrap HTML5 Website Template
If you’re looking for a great one-page website template that offers both good design and great functionality, then you’re in the right place. Vira is one of our best suggestions because of the great features it comes with. Vira was developed using HTML5, Bootstrap, CSS3 and jQuery which means it has a fully responsive layout and many other premium options and elements. You can download this template for free and use in your personal or commercial projects!
Vira Open Source Website TemplatePin
Volcan – Designers/Developers Personal Portfolio HTML5 Bootstrap Template Free Download
Volcan is a very modern and effective Bootstrap template created with developers and designers in mind. This is an open source HTML5 template that will work perfect if you’re planning to create a great personal portfolio website where you can showcase your work with the entire world! We strongly recommend it for any web developer, designer, artist, graphic designer and any other creative person that wants to create a great website completely free of charge!
Volcan Open Source Website TemplatePin
AirCV – Free Bootstrap HTML5 Template for Personal CV Portfolio Website
If you’re in a constant search for the perfect CV and resume template for your future website, then search no more! We strongly suggest you take a look at AirCV – an awesome personal portfolio created with Bootstrap that’s also completely free to use! This cool item was developed and designed with great care by Keenthemes and it will help you create a great online CV in minutes! AirCV is one of the greatest ways to impress your visitors and reach out to new clients!
AirCV Open Source Website TemplatePin
Conference Lite – Free Responsive Event Website Bootstrap HTML5 Template in 2017
Here we have Conference Lite – a completely free of charge version for a very cool and fully functional website template for events. COnference Lite comes with a fully responsive and mobile-friendly layout and tons of customization options that will help you achieve professional results for free! This cool template was created using Bootstrap 3, HTML5, CSS3 and jQuery so you can rest assured that you’ll get lots of features and options!
Open Source Website Template Conference LitePin
Dolphin – Free HTML5 Bootstrap Website Template for Landing Page
Dolphin is one of the best multipurpose landing page templates that can be used for free for any personal or commercial projects. This HTML5 Bootstrap template comes with a tasteful design and many customization features that will make your life easier. It also comes with lots of premade pages that you can easily install and use!
Dolphin Open Source Website TemplatePin
Rabbit – Free Bootstrap Personal Portfolio Template for Creative Personal Portfolio Website
If you still haven’t found the perfect portfolio template for your work, then Rabbit is your answer. This template is extremely versatile and easy to use and it will help you achieve professional results for no costs!
Rabbit Open Source Website TemplatePin
OnePage Lite – Perfect One Page Responsive Bootstrap Template Free Download
Last but not least it’s OnePage Lite – the perfect option if you want to start your business the right way with a great website! This template has a cool one-page design that can be used for free for countless purposes and websites!
Conclusion
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