What is ReactPress?
ReactPress is the publishing system for React developers. Build blogs, documentation sites, company websites, and content-driven applications with React — without assembling a Headless CMS, Admin UI, and frontend from scratch.
One global CLI ships:
| Layer | What you get |
|---|---|
| CMS Admin | WordPress-style writing: posts, pages, media, categories, tags, comments |
| API | NestJS Headless REST with API keys and webhooks |
| Themes | Swappable Next.js visitor sites (SSR/ISR) with SEO built in |
| Plugins | Hook-based extensions (SEO meta, auto-summary, image optimization, …) |
| Desktop | Electron client for offline writing with SQLite, sync to remote API |
| CLI | init · doctor · logs · stop — live in about 60 seconds |
npm i -g @fecommunity/reactpress@beta
mkdir my-site && cd my-site
reactpress init
- Visitor site: http://localhost:3001
- Admin: http://localhost:3001/admin/
- API health: http://localhost:3002/api/health
Not another Headless CMS
Many tools in the React ecosystem deliver only an API (Strapi, Payload, Contentful, Sanity). You still build Admin screens, the marketing site, media workflows, and deploy scripts yourself.
ReactPress is a complete publishing platform:
Admin manages content · Theme manages presentation · Plugin manages logic · API manages data · Toolkit manages contracts
You can still go fully Headless — the REST API is on by default — but you are not forced to invent the rest of the product on day one.
Who it is for
| Audience | Why ReactPress fits |
|---|---|
| React / Next.js teams | One stack from Admin to visitor SEO — no PHP theme layer |
| Bloggers & docs authors | Markdown-friendly Admin; ship a Next.js site without a starter mash-up |
| Agencies & product sites | Themes + plugins + Headless API for custom frontends |
| Teams leaving WordPress | Familiar Admin workflow; modern SSR delivery — see ReactPress vs WordPress |
| Self-hosters | MIT license, SQLite by default, optional MySQL / Docker — see Self-hosted CMS for React |
What you can build
- Personal or company blogs with SSR SEO, sitemap, and OG tags
- Documentation / changelog sites backed by real CMS content
- Marketing sites with pages, media, and Headless custom sections
- Content apps that consume
/api/articleand other endpoints from any React client - Local-first writing via the desktop client
Live demo: blog.gaoredu.com · Theme demo: reactpress-theme-starter
How the pieces fit
- Authors write in Admin or Desktop.
- Plugins run on Hooks (summary, SEO fields, image pipeline).
- Content is stored in SQLite (default) or MySQL.
- The theme SSR-renders for visitors; or your app calls the Headless API.
Deeper model: Core concepts · Architecture overview
ReactPress 4.0 at a glance
ReactPress 4.0 (codename Extend) is the current recommended line:
- Plugin system + Admin slots
- Electron desktop client
- npm theme catalog (
reactpress theme add) - Embedded SQLite by default (Docker optional)
License: MIT. Package: @fecommunity/reactpress · Source: fecommunity/reactpress
ReactPress here is the fecommunity open-source publishing platform (NestJS + Next.js CMS). It is not the WordPress plugin that embeds React apps into existing WP sites.
Quick answers
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Is it free? | Yes — MIT open source |
| Do I need Docker? | No by default (SQLite). Docker only for embedded-docker / external MySQL |
| Is it production-ready? | 4.0 is active beta; validate on staging — see FAQ |
| Can I use my own frontend? | Yes — Headless REST + API keys |
| vs WordPress? | Same editing idea, React/Next delivery — full comparison |
Start here
| Goal | Guide |
|---|---|
| Ship a Next.js blog in ~60 seconds | How to build a blog with Next.js in 60 seconds |
| Step-by-step first site | Create your first site in 5 minutes |
| Choose vs WordPress | ReactPress vs WordPress (2026) |
| Self-hosting & ops | Self-hosted CMS for React |
| Install details | Installation |