Gridea
A desktop app for writing Markdown posts that publish to a static blog.
- Stars
- 10.2k
- Forks
- 832
- Licence
- MIT
- Language
- TypeScript
- Last update
- 3.3 years ago
- Type
- App
No commits in over a year — check for forks or alternatives before adopting.
What it is
Gridea is a desktop writing app for people who want a blog without running a database or server. You write posts in a Markdown editor, add images and labels, and the app generates a static website you can host on platforms such as GitHub Pages. It runs on Windows, macOS and Linux, and is built with Electron, Vue and TypeScript.
- Write and publish a personal blog post with images and a cover picture
- Organize articles with labels and grouped menus
- Add external link menu items to your blog navigation
- Switch between the built-in themes or install a third-party theme
Great for
- Bloggers who want to own their content as plain static files
- People who prefer writing in Markdown on a desktop app
- Writers who want to sync their blog source folder through OneDrive, iCloud or Dropbox
- Users who want to add Gitalk or DisqusJS comments to a static blog
Not ideal for
- People who want a hosted blog with no setup, since the README describes publishing to static hosts like GitHub Pages
- Users who need a mobile or web-only editor, because the README only lists desktop platforms
- Teams needing collaborative editing, which the README does not mention
How to get it
- 1
Download the app
Download a prebuilt release from the releases page
https://github.com/getgridea/gridea/releases - 2
Run it
- Download the installer for your operating system from the releases page
- Install and open Gridea
- Create a new post in the Markdown editor
- Configure your site and publish it to a static host such as GitHub Pages
- 3
Get the most out of it
- Use the built-in themes or install a third-party theme for custom looks
- Sync your source folder across devices with OneDrive, iCloud or Dropbox
- Add Gitalk or DisqusJS for comments on your static site
- Create external link menus to customize site navigation
Downloads
Strengths
- Writes in Markdown and generates a static site, so the output is simple files
- Available on Windows, macOS and Linux with an interface in several languages
- MIT licensed and open source
Trade-offs
- The README itself says the project is young and has shortcomings
- Last push in the metadata is July 2023, so recent maintenance is unclear
- Setup for development requires Node.js and yarn, and the README gives little detail on publishing steps
How it compares
| Project | Stars | Type | Level | Updated | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| gridea (this) | 10.2k | App | beginner | 3.3 years ago | Bloggers who want to own their content as plain static files |
| jekyll | 51.7k | Dev tool | intermediate | 24 days ago | Developers who want a blog or simple website built from plain text files |
| hexo | 41.8k | Framework | intermediate | 10 days ago | Bloggers who want a fast static site they fully control |
| marktext | 63.5k | App | beginner | 4 days ago | People who write notes or articles in Markdown and want a clean, minimal editor |
| nylas-mail | 24.7k | App | advanced | 4 months ago | Developers curious about how an extensible Electron and React desktop app is structured |
| rubick | 10.1k | App | beginner | 10 months ago | People who want a keyboard-driven launcher for apps and files on Windows or macOS |
Stats synced from GitHub. The assessment above was drafted with AI from the project's README on 2026-10-29 and may miss recent changes — check the README before relying on a command. MIT licence: free to use, modify and distribute, including commercially, as long as you keep the copyright notice.