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Beta · The current version is in beta testing

Write, preview, publish. No command line.

A native desktop app to manage and build your static sites. Cecil is embedded: nothing else to install.

Download for Windows Download for macOS (Intel) Download for macOS (Apple Silicon)

Version 0.4.0

Free for 1 site · Windows and macOS

Cecil Desktop overview of a site, with the last build, the preview and the publication status

Everything Cecil does, one click away.

Build logs, live preview, Markdown editor and deployments in one window. Raw configuration and detailed logs stay visible.

Write content, see it live

Browse the pages/ tree, edit Markdown with syntax highlighting and fill the front matter through a form. Save, and the preview reloads in your browser.

  • Markdown editor with line numbers
  • Front matter form, raw YAML for the rest
  • Open any page in your external editor
Markdown editor with the pages tree and the front matter form

Publish in one click

Deploy to Netlify, Vercel, GitHub Pages or AWS S3 directly through their APIs. Only the changed files are sent, and every deployment is kept in the history.

  • Several targets per site (production, staging…)
  • Differential uploads
  • No git, Netlify or AWS CLI required
Netlify publishing target, with the deployments history

Your tokens stay safe

Hosting accounts are stored once and shared between your sites. Tokens are encrypted with the system keychain and never written to your projects.

  • Windows Credential Manager and macOS Keychain
  • Tokens checked before each deployment
  • No telemetry
Preferences listing the Netlify account, with its token checked

And everything you expect.

Full or incremental builds

Drafts, environment, base URL… with streamed logs and a summary per step.

Live preview

A local server with live reload, opened in your browser. One per site.

All your sites

Open an existing project or create a new one, and switch between them.

Themes

Browse, install and update the official Cecil themes.

Diagnostics

Deprecated options, broken links and SEO checks, with readable errors.

Keyboard first

Command palette, Ctrl/Cmd+B to build, Ctrl/Cmd+P to preview.

Free for 1 site. One license for unlimited.

All the features are in both plans. Pay once, no subscription.

Free

To discover Cecil Desktop and manage your first site.

0 € forever

  • 1 site
  • Build, preview and content editing
  • Publish to Netlify, Vercel, GitHub Pages and S3
  • Themes and diagnostics
Download free

Pro

For freelancers and agencies with many sites.

49 € one-time payment

  • Unlimited sites
  • Everything in Free
  • 1 year of updates included
  • Supports the development of Cecil
Get Cecil Desktop Pro

Available after the beta

A few questions.

What is Cecil Desktop?

A desktop application to manage your Cecil sites: create, edit, build, preview and publish them without typing a single command.

Do I need to install PHP or Cecil?

No. Cecil Desktop embeds PHP and Cecil. The embedded Cecil version is shown in the app, and is updated with each release.

Does it replace my code editor?

No. The built-in editor is made for content (Markdown and front matter). Templates and assets are opened in your favorite editor in one click.

Where are my sites and tokens stored?

Your sites stay where they are, on your disk: Cecil Desktop doesn't move or convert anything. Hosting tokens are encrypted with the system keychain.

What happens after the first year of a Pro license?

Your license is perpetual: you keep using the last version released during your year of updates. Renew only if you want the new versions.

Which systems are supported?

Windows 10+ and macOS 12+ (Intel and Apple Silicon). Linux is planned.

Is it open source?

Cecil, the static site generator (CLI) embedded in Cecil Desktop, is open source: its source code is on GitHub. Your sites stay standard Cecil projects, that you can build without the app.

Your next site is one click away.

Download Cecil Desktop for free, and open your first site in seconds.

Download for Windows Download for macOS (Intel) Download for macOS (Apple Silicon)

Version 0.4.0