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Home/Categories/No-Code & Low-Code/GrapesJS
icon of GrapesJS

GrapesJS

Open source alternative to Unlayer, Wix, Webflow and Squarespace

  • 26.4K stars
  • BSD-2-Clause
  • Active this month
  • Last commit 11 days ago

Last verified Nov 2, 2026

Build visual page editors in your own app with an open source drag-and-drop framework that keeps content output and deployment under your control.

Visit websiteGitHub26.4K stars
GrapesJS web builder interface
TL;DR

GrapesJS is an embeddable web builder framework for adding drag-and-drop HTML, CSS, template, newsletter, or CMS editing to an application. It is a developer framework, not a desktop app or hosted website builder. The OSA record lists NOASSERTION, so license confirmation is needed before commercial redistribution.

Read the full breakdownHide the full breakdownWho it is for, how it works, trade-offs and the FAQ
who it's for

Who GrapesJS is for#

SaaS products embedding a page or email editor

Use GrapesJS when customers need to design templates inside your own product and the output must connect to your data and publishing flow.

Skip if:

Skip it if you want a complete managed website builder with hosting and support.

Internal CMS and template builders

Use GrapesJS when editorial or operations teams need controlled visual editing for HTML templates, landing pages, or newsletters.

Skip if:

Skip it if a markdown editor or fixed content blocks are enough.

the problem

The problem it solves#

Teams often need non-developers to edit pages, email templates, or CMS blocks inside an existing product. Hosted builders such as Webflow solve website creation, but they do not always fit when the editor must live inside a SaaS app, internal CMS, email platform, or custom admin surface. Building a visual editor from scratch is expensive because it requires blocks, style controls, asset handling, code output, storage, and plugin behavior.

GrapesJS gives developers a framework for embedding that editor experience into their own web application. The important distinction is that it is not a managed site builder; it is a JavaScript framework for building a custom visual editor around your own data model and deployment path.

how GrapesJS solves it

How it solves it#

Embeddable drag-and-drop editor

Add a visual HTML and CSS editor to a CMS, email platform, landing-page tool, or internal product. Users can compose templates without leaving your application.

Blocks, layers, style, and asset managers

GrapesJS includes common editor primitives such as blocks, layers, style controls, asset handling, and code viewing. That reduces the amount of editor infrastructure a team must build from scratch.

Template and newsletter use cases

The project explicitly targets sites, newsletters, mobile-app templates, and CMS template systems. That makes it useful for products where users need reusable content layouts.

Plugin and wrapper ecosystem

Official and community plugins, plus wrappers such as the React integration, give teams a path to customize the editor UI, storage, and component behavior.

strengths · trade-offs

Strengths and trade-offs#

Strengths

  • Framework fit, not SaaS lock-inGrapesJS is strongest when the product needs to own the editor experience inside its own application. Webflow is a website platform; GrapesJS is a framework developers embed.
  • Good starting point for custom buildersTeams get the core visual-builder primitives without committing to a vendor-hosted dashboard or designing every editor interaction from zero.

Trade-offs

  • -Requires product engineering ownershipGrapesJS does not give you Webflow hosting, accounts, CMS, billing, analytics, or support out of the box. Your team owns integration, storage, permissions, publishing, and long-term editor UX.
versus alternatives

GrapesJS vs alternatives#

GrapesJS vs Webflow

GrapesJS is the better fit when a team needs to embed a drag-and-drop editor inside its own CMS, SaaS product, or template workflow. Webflow is stronger when the team wants a hosted website builder with publishing, CMS, collaboration, and support already packaged. Choose GrapesJS for custom editor infrastructure; choose Webflow for managed website creation.

tech stack · detected from GitHub

What it's built on#

Languages
JavaScriptTypeScript
Tooling
Webpack
frequently asked

FAQ#

What does GrapesJS replace?

GrapesJS can replace the custom editor framework you might otherwise build for CMS templates, email builders, or embedded page builders. It does not replace every Webflow, Wix, or Squarespace feature.

Is GrapesJS self-hosted?

GrapesJS is a JavaScript web builder framework you embed in your own application. It is not a standalone desktop app or a server product, so self-hosting depends on the app you build around it.

What license does GrapesJS use?

The OSA item record lists NOASSERTION. Confirm the current upstream license before using GrapesJS in commercial, redistributed, or hosted-service contexts.

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by category

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