neopress
GitHub
Vol. 0 · Built in publicPre-alpha · Rust · Open source
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.

Star and follow on GitHub Find a way to help
git clone https://github.com/neopress/neopress.git
Plate I, Oxide Sun: a rust-orange sun setting over green bands of horizon.
Plate IOxide SunNeopress art collection, 2026
Now building: 0.1, the core and the editor Not ready for production yet See the roadmap
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.

Chapter 1

The Pioneer's Plateau

The technology that democratized publishing is held back by decades of technical debt.

Chapter 2

The Fragile Foundation

Stacked plugins, colliding third-party code and constant patching. A versatile platform should never sacrifice safety.

Chapter 3

Safety, Speed, and a Clean Slate

Built in Rust so classic exploits simply cannot compile. Speed is native to the architecture.

Chapter 4

The Architecture of Tomorrow

One unified stack for frontend, backend and database, with native MCP so AI agents can work safely inside the CMS.

Chapter 5

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.

Read the full manifesto on GitHub →

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.

  1. 0.1

    Core and editor

    Content model, storage, the block editor and a single-binary server.

    In progress
  2. 0.2

    Themes

    Compiled templates and the default "Broadsheet" theme. Night edition is included from the start.

    Up next
  3. 0.3

    Crates

    Plugins compiled to WebAssembly and run in a sandbox, so one bad plugin can't take the site down.

    Planned
  4. 0.4

    WordPress import

    Posts, media, users and shortcodes from a standard WordPress export file.

    Planned
  5. 0.5

    MCP workspace

    Let your AI agents build features, write boilerplate and change settings, with permissions you control.

    Planned
  6. 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.

Fig. 1The 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
Design preview of the Neopress block editor, with a block inserter on the left, an article with an art plate in the middle and block settings on the right.
Fig. 2Crates

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
Design preview of the crates screen in dark mode: a grid of plugins, each with its sandbox level and size.
Fig. 3The 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
Design preview of a terminal session installing Neopress, creating a site, importing a WordPress export and serving it.
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.

Rust developers

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 →
WordPress veterans

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 →
Site owners

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 →
Designers

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 →
Writers

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 →
Everyone

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: a pale blue crescent moon over a city of lit towers.
Plate VNight EditionNeopress art collection, 2026
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.

The open web deserves a better engine. Help us build it.

Star and follow on GitHub Read the contributing guide →