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From Resources List for the Personal Web - Community Wiki - 32-Bit Cafe


Welcome to the 32-Bit Cafe Resources list! This list is to help guide and help those who are in every stage of their web-building journey on the personal web. This list is not meant to overwhelm you, but rather give you options and find tools, graphics, utilities, codes, and everything in between to help get you creating more on the independent web.

Search on this page with Ctrl+F to find what you’re looking for.

We try to focus our findings on free or low-cost, open-source, independent services, tools, and platforms, although we recommend financially supporting the tools you do use.

Feel free to share this list and get the word out about how easy and fun it is to create your own website and join in this side of the web!

To link to a section, hover over the heading and click the icon that appears.


Webmastery

“Webmastery” and “webweaving” are cool ways to describe web development from a hobbyist standpoint, so we like to use it here. The resources below are meant to be helpful to create your own website.

Accessibility

Expand - Access Guide, a friendly introduction to accessibility - Accessible Net Directory [not accepting new submissions] - ANDI Accessibility Checker - Accessible Palette - Code for Accessible Components - Color Contrast Tool - Colour Contrast Checker - The Contrast Triangle, a tool for checking text, link and background color contrast at the same time - How to describe images, resource to learn how to write better text alternatives - NVDA, free and open-source screenreader - Photosensitive Epilepsy Analysis Tool (PEAT), test websites and media to identify seizure risks - RandomA11y, generates random color palettes that meet accessibility guidelines. You can lock one color in and generate options, too! - The Ultimate Motherfucking Website: A Field Guide for Web Accessibility - WebAIM Color Contrast Tool - WAVE Accessibility Browser Extension - Web Accessibility Checklist - Web Accessibility Evaluation Tools List - Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.2 Quick Reference - What I’ve Learned About Web Accessibility as a Dyslexic, Sighted, Mouse User

Beginner HTML and CSS Guides

Beginner Javascript Guides

Beginner Self-Managing & Server Guides

(Free) Blogging Platforms, Engines & Stati@capjamesg-Site Generators

  • Aurora, SSG created by @capjamesg
  • Bear Blog, a blogging platform
  • Bloggable, blogging platform @capjames@aprilor any Neocities site (including free accounts!) by @april
  • Chyrp Lite, a PHP blogging engine similar to Tumblr
  • Dreamwid @april h, an open-source LiveJournal alternative
  • Eleventy, SSG
  • Faircamp, Bandcamp platform alternative
  • @downgrade Gatsby, SSG
  • HamsterCMS, content management system by @downgrade
  • Hugo, SSG
  • Jekyll, SS@likho
  • Likho’s microblog.py, microblog gen@downgraderator created by @likho
  • Mataroa, a blogging platform
  • Melonking’s Gallery Maker, an a@likhoplication that lets you easily create HTML photo galleries
  • Midnight.pub, a blogging platform c@ollyeated by m15o
  • Pagecord, an easy and minimalist blogging platform by @olly
  • Phantomake, SSG created by Osmose
  • Pika, a blogging platform @ollyimilar to BearBlog
  • Publii, a beginner-friendly, open-source, all-in-one WordPress alternative
  • Simple page builder app, a WYSIWYG editor to export code and upload elsewhere
  • Smol.pub, a blogging platform created by m15o
  • Soupault, an SSG that doesn’t need templates or front matter
  • Statamic, an independent blogging engine similar to WordPress
  • Strawberry Starter, a @vincent-peugnetimple markdown blog template
  • W, a flat-file Wiki engine based on PHP by @vincent-peugnet
  • Write.as, a minimalist blogging platform
  • Write Freely, an op@vincent-peugnetn-source simple blogging platform
  • Zola, a single-binary SSG
  • Zonelets, a blogging engine made for Neocities but can be used everywhere
  • Zoner, a drag-and-drop SSG based on Zonelets

Code Generators

CSS Code Generators

Code Snippets

Common Webmastery Issues

Counters & Analytics

Directories & Listings

Current and active directories and website listings for the small web.

Expand - 250KB Club - 512KB Club - 1MB Club - a-website-is-a-room.net - about ideas now - Accessible Net Directory - Art Hive Studio website directory - The Big List of Personal Websites - blogroll.club - BlogScroll - Personal Blog & Site Directory - Brisray’s Indie Web Directories - BUKMARK.CLUB - Café Rosé - Curlie - Darktheme Club - Directory | An IndieWeb Webring - @arevakhach Dollmaker Listing - Exploring the Personal Web, collection of directories and exploration paths by @arevakhach (archive link) - FeDistricts, Districts but for the fediverse - @arevakhach otline Webring [submissions are closed] - the hyperlink café - indieblog.page - Indie Newsletters - Indieseek.xyz - i.webthings - LinkLane.net - linklings.club - List-Me.com - melanated - MelonLand Surf Club - Nekoweb Districts - Neocities Neighborhoods - nightfall.city - No CSS Club - The no-JS Club - Non-profit bloggers - ooh! directory - Peelopaalu Directory - personalsit.es - Responsive Web Directory - Sites with a /now page - Sites with a /uses page - Small World [archive link] - Smooth Sailing Listings - The Whimsical Web - URL.town by omg.lol members - XXIIVV Webring - Ye Olde Blogroll

Guestbooks

Domain Name Registrars

Most paid hosting offerings include an option for purchasing a domain, but if you want to just purchase a domain, these are some favorites:

Hosted Forms

Hosted Services for Websites

Indie Advertising Networks

Non-commercial projects only, usually.

(Free) Layouts & Themes

Expand - 32-Bit Cafe’s Spring '25 Tea Party - 5493’s Themes - Almost Sweet’s Layouts - anemptyblissbeyondthisworld - mobile responsive basic outlines - Cepheus’ Layouts - Cinni’s Layouts - Codesharing Layout & Code Directory - CreateBlog’s Website Templates - Dynamicdrive Layouts - Eggramen’s Layouts - Fool Lovers Layouts (Use a translator!) - France’s Layouts - Houdini’s Layouts - HTML5 Templates - HTML Portfolio Template - Janisites Layouts - Kalechips Layouts - Moxie Moshpit’s Layouts - Owl’s F2U Website Templates - Palemomos - Petrapixel’s layout generator - Rarebit Webcomic Layout - Repth’s Layouts - Ribo.zone’s Layouts - Sadgrl Premade Templates - Templaterr’s Layouts - Teppy’s Layouts - Tess is a Mess - Themeking’s Layouts - Wasp’s website templates - Wish Glows’ Anime Graphics & Layouts - Xandra’s Layouts - Xo’s Premade Layouts, based on decades (90s, 00s, 10s) - Your Creative Blog Website Tutorials & Freebies - one of numbpilled’s free html themes (here and there!) - numbpilled’s ko-fi with more free themes throughout

Layout Makers

Text Cliques & Clubs

Staff Note: There are a lot of text cliq@varvees across the independent web and would be a bit overwhelming to include here. Instead of linking to individual text cliques, these link to collections, directories, and compilations of text cliques.

Fanlistings

(Free) Webhosts

Staff Note: It is recommended to avoid EIG Hosting companies, services and brands.

Creating, Managing, and Finding Webrings

Widgets & Components

X-References

Graphics

These are resources relating to graphics, graphic design, or creating art.

Browser-Based Graphic Editors

Color Palettes

Graphics @Ritualenerators

(Free) Graphics & Website Materials

Also called “sozai” or “web mats,” these are collections of graphics collected all over the web that you can incorporate into your website.

Expand - 88x31 Buttons - 99GIF Shop - Allyratworld Materials - Architextures - Artwork - BAKENEKOKAN - Betty’s Graphics - Bonnibel’s Graphic Collection - Cannelle - Catch a Star [archived] - ClickArt 300,000 Images & Clip Art - Cluster (archive link) - Cocktail Princess - CSS3 Patterns Gallery - da-lace - Digital Ad Archive - The Doll Archive - Dokodemo’s Graphics - Elfwink’s Pixels - Engram Pixel - Ethereal Goat - Fool Lovers - Frank-web - free-backgrounds.com - GifCities - Glitter-Graphics and More - Graphxkingdom - GRAPHY - GRSites Textures - Hillhouse - Hexed Pixels - Hero Patterns - Ichigo Directory - Ishimori - Jasmine Feng - KABEGAMI-TANK - King-Lulu-Deer - KiraKira Parts - Lapin Agile - Lulu in Cyberspace - Luna’s F2U Goodies - Maguro’s Carrd - Microsoft Clipart Archive Search - Middlepot - Milkshake Skies - The Noun Project - Ohpixels - OKUMONO - Open Source Vector Icons - gcons - Openverse, 700mil+ openly licensed images, audio, & more - Pixel-Diary - Pixel Safari - Pixel-Soup - Prismatic Realm’s Graphics & Ads - Public Domain Treasures - Queen’s Free World - Rachychel - Raw Pixel - Rose’s Rose Garden [archive link] - Sadtheme’s Pixels - SleepySprout Sozai - Strawberry Bunny - Subtle Patterns - Tabler Icons - Taylor’s Tiny Backgrounds - Texture Town - Transparent Textures - Twice the Pixels - Websets by Lynn - Whimsical - xo’s rummage bin - XYZ’s Carrd - Yasuragian

Pixel Cliques & Clubs

Staff Note: These are active pixel clubs and pixel cliques across the web that have either been created or revived from an older age of the internet. Unsure about what this is?

Expand - Afternoon Tea - The Armoury - Bottlecaps - Bunny Garden - CDwORLD - Chao Garden - Charm Bracelets - Charmy Pets - Compact Crayons - Creatures Inside - Deckonomicon - Dream Team - Eau De Parfum Parlor - Fizzy Vendor - The Hatchery - Hall of Rock - Hold My Hand - Isopals - Jar Jams - Kindness Rocks - Kitty Friends - Lava Lounge - Little Pixel Library - MDClique - Ministrife!!! - Nyanbo - PANTSON Color Club - Pill Pals - Pixel Potluck - Pixelbill - Pixel Scouts - Pocket Town - RPG Club - Sticker Sheet Club - Teeny Towers - Timbropixelia - Numbpilled

Placeholder Images

(Free) Stock Images & Illustrations

Beginner Graphics Guides

Utilities & Programs

These are utilities, programs, and helpful tools that can help make your life easier when it comes to computing, webmastery, and other computer-related hobbies.

HTML & Webweaving Utilities

Image & Art Utilities

Social Media Utilities

Retro Utilities & Programs

Typefaces & Fonts

Password Managers

Other Software & Utilities

Independent Web Alternatives

These are alternative projects, web services, and replacements for the corporate web, corporate services, or Big Tech.

Staff Note: selfh.st has a giant directory of active self-hosted (typically free) apps that is a good resource to use.

Creativity Tools & Programs

eCommerce Alternatives

  • Artisans Cooperative, an Etsy alternative
  • Ecwid, a free Shopify alternative
  • Mushroomy, a cute, by-artists, for-artists storefront platform & Etsy alternative
  • Snipcart, a JS shopping cart and checkout system that works with any website or page
  • Thirty Bees, a free, open-source Shopify alternative

Email Newsletter Software

  • Beehiiv, free tier up to 2,500 subscribers
  • Plunk, free tier up to 1,000 emails/mo or free self-hosting
  • Keila, free self-hosted option
  • Letterloop, $5/mo and friends- and family-focused
  • Listmonk, free and self-hosted
  • Mailtrain, free and self-hosted
  • SendPortal, free self-hosted email marketing/newsletter management

Productivity Tools & Programs

Search Engines

Other Service Alternatives

Service Proxies and Frontends

  • BreezeWiki, allows you to view Fandom wiki pages without the bloat or ads
  • FreeTube, a privacy-focused desktop client for YouTube
  • Invidious, a lighter-weight YouTube frontend; self-hostable and accessible through various public instances
  • LibRedirect, a web extension that redirects YouTube, Instagram, Reddit, TikTok and other websites to alternative privacy-friendly frontends
  • NewPipe, an alternative mobile YouTube client for Android
  • Piped, an alternative YouTube frontend
  • Redlib, a private front-end for Reddit; self-hostable and accessible through various public instances
  • Scribe, a Mediu@downgrade link alternative

@xandraines


xandra.cclast updated: november 5, 2025