The Silex Manifesto
We believe the web belongs to everyone. Not to platforms. Not to investors. Not to those who can afford it.
The problem we see
No-code tools have become traps
They promise freedom from code, but deliver dependence on platforms. Your site lives on their servers. Your data feeds their growth. Your skills don't transfer. When they raise prices, pivot, or shut down, you lose everything.
Most no-code companies are VC-backed. Their business model requires extracting value from you — through subscriptions, feature limits, or lock-in. Open-core is not open source. Freemium is not free.
Static sites remain out of reach. The JAMstack is brilliant: fast, secure, cheap to host, eco-friendly. But the toolchain is intimidating. Designers can't touch it. Clients can't edit content.
Learning web development means paying to be captive. Your options are proprietary platforms that teach you their system, not the web.
The Four Freedoms
We embrace the principles of free/libre software
- Freedom to use — Use Silex for any purpose, without restriction.
- Freedom to study — The code is open. The formats are standard.
- Freedom to modify — Adapt it to your needs. Fork it. Extend it.
- Freedom to share — Redistribute copies to help others.
These are not features. They are rights.
Sovereignty
Your creations belong to you
Your data stays yours. Export everything, host anywhere, leave anytime. No lock-in, ever.
We don't just allow self-hosting — we encourage it. The free cloud service exists so everyone can start, not so we can capture you.
Education over extraction
A tool for learning, not for monetizing users
Everything you learn in Silex is real web knowledge: HTML, CSS, the JAMstack. Inspect any element. Edit the code. Progress toward hand-coding when you're ready.
We practice popular education: knowledge should be shared, not sold.
Community ownership
Maintained by Silex Labs, a non-profit
No investors. No shareholders. No exit strategy. No incentive to enshittify.
Every euro donated funds concrete project needs — development, templates, infrastructure. Never marketing.
Sustainability. We reject the VC-backed growth model. We build for longevity: simple architecture, standard formats, minimal dependencies. Silex has existed since 2009. We care about environmental impact — static sites are lighter than dynamic ones.
Inclusivity. The web should be built by everyone, for everyone. We design for accessibility — both in the tool and in the sites it produces. We welcome contributors regardless of background, experience, or location.
Our commitments
- Silex will always be free software (AGPL). Not open-core. Not source-available. Free.
- The free cloud service will remain free with all features.
- Standard formats only. HTML, CSS, and readable data.
- No tracking, no ads, no data selling.
- Transparent governance. Roadmap, finances, decisions are public.
- Donations fund the project, not marketing.
- Education first. Documentation and community support are core activities.
Join us
Silex is not a company selling a product. It's a community building a tool.
Use it. Learn from it. Improve it. Share it.
The web was meant to be open. Let's keep it that way.
This manifesto is licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.