Blocs vs Silex
Blocs
blocsapp.comSilex
silex.meSide by side
| Figure | Blocs | Silex |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | $4.99/mo | Free |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | Yes | — |
| Open source | — | Yes |
| Web | — | Yes |
| Windows | — | Yes |
| macOS | Yes | Yes |
| Linux | — | Yes |
| iOS | Yes | — |
| API | — | Yes |
| Self-hosted | — | Yes |
| Plans published | 5 | 9 |
| Spec score · Personal Website Builders | 9.2 (#2) | 8.6 (#11) |
| Founded | 2014 | 2009 |
| Headquarters | Tyne and Wear, NE26 2JH, United Kingdom | Paris, France |
| Licence | Blocs is proprietary software licensed under the maker's EULA; the agreement reserves product ownership to Cazoobi and says users have no right to source code access. | Silex is released as free/libre software under the GNU AGPL licence. |
| Privacy | The maker's privacy policy says it does not sell personal information and describes collection, use, security, retention, and third-party disclosures. | The privacy policy says local operation stores files on the user's device and Silex does not collect or store those local files. |
| Product | Blocs is visual web design software for creating responsive websites without writing code. | Silex is a visual builder for static websites with a visual editor, CMS integration, and hosting options. |
| Publishing | Paid plans can export sites to code and publish them to the customer’s own hosting. | The free cloud option uses GitLab Pages and supports custom domains and automatic CI/CD builds. |
| Rating on G2 | G2 shows an average based on 17 user reviews; the page does not state an overall star rating in the opened content. | 4.5 out of 5 from 3 reviews |
| Responsive design | Blocs can create responsive websites and preview designs at multiple screen sizes. | The documentation covers breakpoints and responsive techniques for adapting layouts to different screens. |
| Support | The maker says it offers online support, a knowledge base, and a video academy; Standard and Plus tiers list email support. | Users can get community help through chat and forums, report bugs, or purchase support and consulting services. |
| System requirements | The latest Mac version requires macOS 11 Big Sur or later and about 250 MB of disk space; case-sensitive file systems are unsupported. | Node-based installations require Node.js 20 or newer and pnpm; the GitLab connector requires GitLab 16 or newer. |
Plans
Blocs
- Blocs 6Free
- Blocs 6 FreeFree
- Blocs for iPad$4.99 a month
- Blocs 6 Standard$112.99, paid once
- Blocs 6 Plus$179.99, paid once
Silex
- CloudFree
- Desktop appFree
- Self-HostedFree
- Cloud with a free gitlab.com accountFree
- Cloud with a free gitlab.com accountFree
- Desktop appFree
- Self-hostedPriced on request
- Self-HostedFree
- Custom developmentPriced on request
In their own words
Blocs
Blocs is visual web design software for creating responsive websites without writing code, available on macOS and iOS. Its free plan includes styling options, interactions, animations, Scroll FX, installable add-ons, auto backups, video training, and updates for Blocs 6. That plan does not list code export or publishing; paid plans add exporting sites to code and publishing to a customer's own hosting. Standard also includes custom fonts, browser preview, a developer inspector, basic email support, and use on one Mac. Plus adds WordPress theme building, image editing, shared styles, advanced SEO, priority email support, and use on two Macs. Blocs works offline and lists Bootstrap 4 and 5 support, plus HTML, HTM, and PHP formats. The developer API lets third parties make custom Brics. Standard costs $112.99 payment and Plus costs $179.99 payment, with no subscription. Current-version updates are free, but upgrading from Blocs 5 to Blocs 6 requires a paid upgrade. Minimum requirements listed are macOS 11 and iPadOS 15.6.
Silex
Silex is a visual builder for static websites, with a visual editor, CMS integration, and several publishing choices. It is free and open source under the AGPL license, and can be used as a cloud service, desktop app, or self-hosted setup. The Cloud option publishes through GitLab Pages and supports custom domains and automatic CI/CD builds. Listed CMS and data connections include WordPress, Directus, and Squidex; any GraphQL API can also serve as a CMS or data source. Publishing choices include GitLab Pages, FTP/SFTP, ZIP download, and CapRover. The free GitLab tier has a five-user maximum per private group, 400 CI/CD minutes per month per namespace, and 10 GB total storage. Self-hosted GitLab CE has no user or storage limits, according to the maker, and supports Docker, CapRover, or npx. Silex Desktop is an early-alpha app for Windows, macOS, and Linux; it edits offline, publishes to a local folder, and needs no account. An experimental on-device AI assistant is included in the desktop app, and a local MCP server is listed for AI integration. The maker says sites have no tracking or third-party cookies and user data is not for sale. The listed Cloud and Self-Hosted plans are free, and Desktop is free.