Daypress · v0.1 Early Preview
The publishing press, recompiled in Rust.
One binary and an embedded SQLite file. Visual editing in Daystudio, WordPress REST compatibility, and native MCP—without PHP or MySQL.
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git clone https://github.com/Trooper-lab/daypress.gitStatus: early preview (v0.1 shipped — single binary, Daystudio, REST API, MCP & experimental WP importer)
Expect rough edges before 1.0
See what works today
The manifesto
Why we're starting again
WordPress built the modern web and gave millions a platform. The long-term goal is a CMS that most WordPress sites can move to with their content and design intact.
The Pioneer's Plateau
The technology that democratized publishing is held back by decades of PHP and MySQL runtime debt.
The Fragile Foundation
Stacked plugins, colliding third-party code, and constant patching. Core publishing features belong in the binary.
Safety, Speed, and a Clean Slate
Built in Rust with Axum, Tokio, and embedded SQLite (WAL) so memory exploits cannot compile and assets ship inside one binary.
Honest Migration
We are building an AST converter for Elementor, Divi, and Gutenberg in the open, improving real-world site imports with the community.
AI-Native by Design
A built-in Model Context Protocol (MCP) server lets AI assistants inspect and edit posts, layouts, and settings with administrator control.
Stop patching the past and start compiling the future.
From the Daypress manifesto
Roadmap & Status
Where we are, honestly
Daypress is in early preview (v0.1). Today it is good for building new sites and testing our experimental WordPress importer. Don't use it yet where downtime or data loss would hurt, and keep backups.
0.1
Core, Daystudio, REST API & MCP
Single Axum/Tokio binary with embedded SQLite (WAL), Daystudio visual builder, WP REST API v2 subset, RSS 2.0 feeds, scheduled posts, SMTP email, argon2id auth, built-in MCP server, and experimental WP/WXR importer.
Early preview (Now)
0.2
Real-world migration fidelity & Canvas parity
Community-driven Elementor, Divi, and Gutenberg AST converter fixes, full Daystudio responsive preview parity, post revisions, Atom/comment feeds, and site time zone support.
Up next
0.3
Security hardening, 2FA & fine-grained roles
Two-factor authentication, per-role capability enforcement for Editors/Authors/Contributors, single-session sign-out, code-signed binaries, and published Docker images.
Planned
0.4
Compiled themes & WebAssembly Crates
Sandboxed WebAssembly extension crates with explicit capability permissions and compiled theme templates.
Planned
1.0
First stable release
External security audit, published reproducible benchmarks, stable SQLite schema guarantees, and production sign-off from real sites.
Planned
Shipped in v0.1
What works today (and what doesn't)
These screenshots come directly from the running v0.1 binary (including the Daystudio builder that rendered this very page). Below them is our full, unvarnished ledger of what works and what is still missing.
Daystudio Visual Builder
Drag-and-drop layouts, compiled to server HTML
Daystudio edits sections, containers, grids, headings, text, buttons, and media on a live canvas that loads your site's header, footer, and theme CSS. Layouts are saved as typed JSON in SQLite and rendered on the server.
Shipped in v0.1
localhost:8090/n-admin/builder
WordPress-Style Admin & Post Editor
Familiar publishing desk, zero PHP runtime
Write in visual, block, or HTML source modes; manage categories, tags, menus, comments, and media with automatic WebP and thumbnail generation; or connect Claude and Cursor directly over the built-in MCP server.
Shipped in v0.1
localhost:8090/n-admin/
Experimental WordPress Importer
From WordPress bundle or WXR to Daystudio
Download neopress-migrator.zip from Tools -> Import to export your WordPress content, menus, media, theme CSS, and Elementor/Divi global styles as one JSON bundle, or upload a standard WXR XML file up to 500 MB.
Experimental in v0.1
localhost:8090/n-admin/import
Works today in v0.1
What you can use right now
- Single Binary & SQLite (WAL): One Axum + Tokio executable with static assets compiled in. Prebuilt releases for Linux, Windows, and macOS with SHA-256 checksums, plus
Dockerfileanddocker-compose.yml. - Writing & Publishing: Posts, pages, categories, tags, nav menus, visual/block/HTML post editor, automatic WebP/thumbnail media generation, comments moderation, scheduled future posts, and RSS 2.0 feeds (
/feed/). - Daystudio Visual Builder: Drag-and-drop sections, containers, grids, headings, text, buttons, images, and video stored as typed JSON and rendered on the server, plus header/footer templates and customizer.
- Built-in Site Features: Per-post SEO fields,
sitemap.xml,robots.txt, redirects, 404 log, Forms Studio with SMTP email notifications, SQLite backup snapshots, and visitor analytics. - Security & APIs: Argon2id password hashing, login rate-limiting, single-use password reset links, WordPress REST API v2 subset, and a built-in MCP server (
--mcp-stdio&POST /mcp). - Experimental WP Importer:
neopress-migrator.zipbundle exporter and 500 MB streaming WXR importer converting Elementor, Divi, Gutenberg, Yoast, Rank Math, CF7, WPForms, and Redirection data.
Doesn't work yet
Rough edges & missing pieces before 1.0
- WordPress Plugins & Themes Do Not Run: Daypress does not execute PHP. Only the supported plugins above have their data converted; WooCommerce, e-commerce, multisite, and WPML/Polylang are not supported.
- Migration Visual Differences: Tested against 4 fixture sites so far. Expect pages with Elementor Pro widgets, Divi modules, or custom PHP theme code to need manual fixes in Daystudio.
- Installing & Updating: Binaries are not code-signed yet (Gatekeeper/SmartScreen warn), no auto-updater yet, and Docker images build from source via
docker compose. - Publishing & Auth Gaps: No post revision history, no Atom/comment feeds, scheduled times use UTC only, no 2FA yet, and non-admin roles (editor/author/contributor) are still coarse.
- Builder Canvas Differences: The Daystudio desktop canvas is slightly narrower than 1200px and tablet/mobile previews ignore page-wide
body/:rootmedia queries. - No Benchmarks or External Audit Yet: See Security Policy to report vulnerabilities privately.
Where help is wanted
Bring what you know
You don't need to write Rust to help. Migration reports from real WordPress sites, packaging, security reviews, and documentation are just as valuable.
Build core features
Help us add post revisions, Atom & comment feeds, site time zones, 2FA, and fine-grained per-role permissions. Read the contributing guide to get started.
Contributing guide →
Test the WP importer
Try migrating an Elementor, Divi, or Gutenberg site with neopress-migrator.zip or WXR and file a migration report on what looked different.
File a migration report →
Sign & package binaries
Help us set up code-signed binaries for macOS Gatekeeper and Windows SmartScreen, Linux distribution packages, and published Docker Hub/GHCR images.
Open Issues on GitHub →
Polish Daystudio & themes
Help close the gap between the Daystudio canvas and public SSR, or explore our Broadsheet brand guide and component tokens.
Explore the design system →
Docs & i18n
The admin is currently English-only. Help us design the translation system, expand the quickstart guides, and document APIs.
Read the docs →
Join the discussions
Ask questions, propose ideas before writing code, or watch releases on GitHub as we work toward 1.0.
GitHub Discussions →
How we work
Built in public, from day one
Plate V
Night Edition
Decisions happen on GitHub
Larger changes start as an issue or GitHub Discussion before anyone invests time in a pull request, so the reasoning stays on record.
Honest about what works
We list what doesn't work right next to what does. No vaporware claims, no fake benchmarks, and no hidden caveats.
Zero panics & tested ports
302 automated workspace tests and zero Clippy warnings on Linux, Windows, and macOS. Ported WordPress core functions are checked against output from the original PHP.
Open source + sustainable
Free to self-host, modify, and redistribute under the GNU AGPLv3, with a Commercial License option for proprietary SaaS and embedded deployments.
Be kind, be specific
Everyone taking part follows our Code of Conduct. Disagree with ideas, never with people.