Free, open-source publishing software Version 1.10.2 · Beta
Blogs and newsletters for communities
QuillSail is open-source blog and newsletter software for publications written by their readers. Members send in their writing, your editors review it, and every issue goes out from a server you run.
macOS and Linux
curl -fsSL https://quillsail.blog/install.sh | bash
Windows PowerShell
irm https://quillsail.blog/install.ps1 | iex
The installer checks every download against QuillSail's signed release list, then adds a quillsail command. What it does
How it works
Anyone with a confirmed account can draft a piece in Markdown, alone or with co-authors, and submit it when it's ready.
Submissions wait in a queue. Editors leave feedback, ask for changes, then accept or decline. Writers hear about each step by email.
Accepted pieces go live with archives, search and feeds. Writers you trust can publish directly.
Gather pieces into an issue and send it from your own email account. A background worker sends it at a steady pace.
Editorial review
Every piece follows a clear path: submitted, in review, changes requested, accepted, published. Editors write feedback the writer sees, and internal notes the writer doesn't. Each step is recorded on the piece's timeline and emailed to the people involved.
Newsletters
Aim any part of an issue at particular groups. Alumni get the mentoring note, students get the internship fair, and everyone gets the articles. Preview each version, send yourself a test, then send it now or schedule it.
Features
Choose Newsletter, Blog, or Blog + newsletter during setup, and switch later. Your posts, issues and subscribers stay where they are.
Students, staff, alumni or your own. Each group decides how people join (open, by approval, or closed), with its own profile fields, badge and permissions.
People can grant only the permissions they already hold. Administrators always keep every permission, so a site can't lock itself out.
Readers subscribe with just an email address. Double opt-in, a private preferences link, and one-click unsubscribe that mail apps recognize.
Run writing or project competitions with moderated entries, appointed judges, reader voting, deadlines and published results.
Start from five original styles, then adjust type, color, layout and email presentation. Preview the website and email before you save.
Public archives, search, Atom feeds, and pages such as About and Privacy. Readers can export or delete their own account data.
Issues go out through your own SMTP server, Gmail or Outlook account. QuillSail adds no open or click tracking.
An optional form for internships, jobs and partnerships. Contacts confirm their email, and requests arrive in a private inbox.
Share a draft issue through a link that expires. It stays out of archives, search and feeds, and you can revoke it at any time.
Override any template, hook into events and filters with Python, and read published content as JSON.
Labeled forms, visible keyboard focus, and accent colors adjusted automatically to meet WCAG AA contrast.
Run it your way
On your computer
Download QuillSail and open it. The launcher runs a complete publication and opens its dashboard in your browser. Python, Docker and the terminal aren't needed.
It stays private to your computer: the quickest way to try QuillSail and get your publication ready.
Download the appFor your readers
Run QuillSail with Docker Compose or the Python package, behind your own HTTPS proxy. SQLite works out of the box, and PostgreSQL and MySQL/MariaDB are supported.
docker compose up -dKept current
Updates verify the signed release, back up your instance and database, migrate, check the website and worker, and recover automatically if anything fails.
sudo quillsail updateOpen source
Questions
Yes. QuillSail is free software under the MIT license. You pay only for your own server and email sending, if you use paid ones.
Not to subscribe: an email address is enough. Writers need a confirmed account to submit, so editors know who they're working with.
No. It runs only on your computer, at a local address. When you're ready for readers, run QuillSail on a server with Docker Compose or Python.
Yes. Import a CSV file with quillsail subscribers import. Only import people who agreed to receive your publication.
Connect a Gmail or Outlook account, or use any SMTP server, such as your organization's mail relay or a sending service. Their sending limits still apply.
QuillSail is in beta. It runs a real publication, updates back up and roll back automatically, and the code is tested against SQLite, PostgreSQL and MariaDB. It hasn't had an independent security audit, so keep backups.
Download QuillSail, set up your publication in a few minutes, and invite your first writers. Read the quickstart.
macOS and Linux
curl -fsSL https://quillsail.blog/install.sh | bash
Windows PowerShell
irm https://quillsail.blog/install.ps1 | iex
The installer checks every download against QuillSail's signed release list, then adds a quillsail command. What it does