Sitepins is a young, open-source, Git-based CMS. As of October 2026 its repository is active and licensed AGPL-3.0, and the project is small compared with Decap or Tina. It suits teams with a static site who want editors to change Markdown without learning Git. We provide developers to set it up, self-host it or move away from it.
What the product does
You connect a GitHub or GitLab repository. Sitepins reads your Markdown, MDX and frontmatter and builds an editor, with live preview, local drafts, branches and pull requests. Content is never copied to a Sitepins database; every save is a commit. Supported frameworks include Astro, Next.js, Hugo, Nuxt, Svelte, Eleventy and Jekyll. A self-hosted setup needs Node.js and MongoDB for accounts and projects.
What a Sitepins developer does for you
- Connects your repository and shapes frontmatter so the generated editor is usable.
- Defines schemas for field types, defaults and validation where auto-detection falls short.
- Self-hosts the backend with Docker and MongoDB, including backups and updates.
- Sets up roles, drafts and review through branches and pull requests.
- Moves a site from another Git CMS, or off Sitepins.
What we vet for
- Git fluency. Branch strategy, merge conflicts between editors, and what a preview build triggers.
- Static site frameworks. The candidate should be comfortable in the framework your site uses, since the CMS edits files and the build does the rest.
- Self-hosting operations. Environment files, database backups and upgrades of a young project.
- Licence awareness. AGPL has obligations if you modify and run it as a service.
Is it ready for production?
For a marketing site or documentation, yes, provided you accept that the project is young and small. Content sits in Git as plain files, so the downside is limited to the editing tool. We would hesitate where many editors work at once on a high-stakes site, or where compliance needs a vendor with a long support record. In that case we propose a more established Git CMS.
First weeks
We connect a copy of the repository and check that every content type is editable. Then we tidy frontmatter, add schemas where needed and test publishing with a real editor. Production comes last.
Engagement models
Most Sitepins work is small, so a part-time dedicated developer or a short scoped project fits. For larger sites, use IT staff augmentation or a dedicated team.
When another tool fits better
If you are still deciding whether Sitepins fits, our Sitepins services page covers what the product does and where it stops.
If you need a mature community, look at Decap, Tina or CloudCannon. If you need an API for several channels, see our headless CMS development page and migration services. Other platforms are under hire headless CMS developers.
