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.
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.
Contributions
This list is contributed to by members and some information has been grandfathered in from our Discord and other communication platforms.
Interested in contributing?
After a certain period of time and activity, you will have access to edit the list. If you’d like to get permissions sooner than that, send @yequari or @xandra a message! Add categories and links in the same format using Markdown to keep things consistent. If a resource you have in mind tends to fit into two categories, try selecting the one that best represents the intention of the resource. Try to list resources in alphabetical order for ease, but it will be periodically cleaned up anyway. Thank you for your efforts!
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
- Access Guide, a friendly introduction to accessibility
- Accessible Net Directory
- ANDI Accessibility Checker
- Accessible Palette
- Color Contrast Tool
- 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
- What I’ve Learned About Web Accessibility as a Dyslexic, Sighted, Mouse User
Beginner HTML Guides
- A Beginner’s Guide to HTML
- The Cave of Dragonflies’ HTML Guide
- CSS Grid Garden, a beginner tutorial for CSS grids
- CSS Flexbox Froggy, a beginner tutorial for CSS flexbox
- david.qa: answers to your creative website questions, with layouts & a website-building quick start guides
- HTML Dog
- MelonKing’s Introduction to the Web Revival Guide
- Mozilla’s Web Docs
- Organisational Advice - how to structure your website files
- Shark Coder
- W3Schools HTML Tutorial
- An Interactive Guide to CSS Grid by Josh W Comeau
Beginner Javascript Guides
- Code Maven, an easy interactive tutorial
Beginner Self-Managing & Server Guides
Free Blogging Platforms & Static-Site Generators
- Bear Blog
- Dreamwidth, an open-source LiveJournal clone
- Eleventy
- Faircamp, Bandcamp alternative
- Gatsby
- Hugo
- Jekyll
- Likho’s microblog.py, created by @likho
- Melonking’s Gallery Maker, an application that lets you easily create HTML photo galleries
- Midnight.pub, created by /u/m15o
- Phantomake, created by Osmose
- Pika
- Smol.pub, created by /u/m15o
- Soupault, an SSG that doesn’t need templates or front matter
- Statamic
- Write.as
- Write Freely
- Zonelets, made for Neocities but can be used everywhere
Code Generators
- Beveled CSS Button/Box Code Generator
- Broider, tool for designing simple embroidery-style css borders
- Class Adder Script Writer
- CSS Background Generator
- CSS
clamp()
Calculator - CSS3 Code Generators
- CSS Code Generator Collection
- CSS Compound Grid Generator
- CSS Fluid Type Scale Calculator
- CSS Fluid Space Calculator
- CSS Gradient Generator
- CSS Grid Generator
- (Another) CSS Grid Generator
- CSS Portal’s CSS Generator Collection
- Custom Scrollbar CSS Generator
- HTML5 Code Generators
- JavaScript/SVG Linear Easing Generator
- nanogallery2 JS Photo Gallery Generator
- Transparent Textures
- Web Design Assistant Code Generators
Code Snippets
- 30 Seconds of Code’s CSS Snippets
- Bechnokid’s resources, tutorials, and code snippets
- Dynamic Drive: JS & CSS Scripts
- Fc2counter Visitor Counter Code
- Filter divs only Javascript Codepen by Leoandro
- Freefrontend
- Free Hosted Scripts
- Font selector code
- Kalechips’ code snippets
- Loveberry
- Updating SideBar
- Updating Top Nav Bar
- RV’s free Javascript/DHTML effects
- Scripted
- Shenanigan’s Code Snippets
- Solaria’s Web Making Guides
- Wesource
Common Webmastery Issues
- Block the Bots that Feed “AI” Models Scraping Your Website
- Convert large blocks of text to html code
- Dark Visitors, a list of known AI agents on the internet that you might want to block
- How to Center in CSS
- Mebi’s Eleventy, GitHub, and Neocities Tutorial
- Perfect Responsive Padding
- Prevent Pinterest interacting with your content
- px to rem - use scales to convert a pixel layout to a responsive unit
- Reset CSS Stylesheet to Normalize Styling Across Browsers [alternative: Import Normalize.css]
- Rules of Margin Collapse
- Test webpages on different screen resolutions
- What’s Wrong With Your Website?
Counters & Analytics
- CuterCounter, free
- GoatCounter, free
- Plausible, paid only
- Statcounter, free and paid tiers
- Tinylytics, free and paid tiers
Hosted Forms
- Riku Forms, created by m15o
- Formcarry, free tier
- Formkeep, free tier
- FormSubmit
- form.taxi, free tier
- GetForm, free tier
- HeroTofu, free tier
- HeyForm, free tier
- Letterbird, free tier
- Netlify Forms, free tier
- Pageclip, free tier
- Smartforms, free tier
- Tally, powerful free tier
- Web3Forms, free tier
Hosted Services for Websites
- Freeimage.host
- Giscus, comment system powered by GitHub Discussions
- Glitch, code editing software and web-building tools
- HTML Journal, created by /u/m15o
- omg.lol, a variety of services including profiles, weblogs, statuses, and more
- Status.Cafe Status Log, created by /u/m15o
Free Layouts
- 5493’s Themes
- Almost Sweet’s Layouts
- 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
- Janisites Layouts
- Kalechips Layouts
- Owl’s F2U Website Templates
- Palemomos
- 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
- Your Creative Blog Website Tutorials & Freebies
Layout Makers
Text Cliques & Clubs
Staff Note: There are a lot of text cliques 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
- Codeberg Pages
- Geocities.club
- Github Pages
- Hatch (free tier, drag & drop web builder, lots of interactivity capabilities!)
- Hot Glue, webhost & visual tool to create websites
- Ichi.city, made by /u/m15o
- Leprd.space (application-based, up to 1GB) [Applications closed]
- Lexiqqq.com, (500MB, access to PHP, free webmail) created by @lexi
- Marigold Town, town-themed webhosting created by @xandra
- mmm.page (free tier, drag & drop web builder!)
- Neocities (free tier, up to 1GB)
- Nekoweb, a free and donation-tier Neocities alternative
- Netlify (generous free tier!)
- Slashpage
- Sourcehut Pages
- Teacake (free tier, up to 500MB) [Applications closed]
- W3Schools’ Spaces (free tier, 20MB, 500 hits per month, learn-as-you-go!)
- Yay.Boo, a super-simple, free file uploader to create a website
Creating, Managing, and Finding Webrings
- Amolith’s Webring Using Go
- Brisray’s Active Webrings List, created by @brisray
- Dabric’s Linkcircle
- Gray’s JavaScript Webring
- LibreRing JavaScript Webring
- Neocities-Hosted Webrings List
- Neorings, dedicated platform to host webrings by @div
- Onionring JavaScript Webring Widget
- Sadgrl’s JavaScript Webring Tutorial
- Viatrix’s Webring Creation Tutorial Using Github, Jekyll, and Netlify, by @vivivi
- Webri.ng Webring Host & Backend Handler
- Webring Kit Using Eleventy & Netlify
Widgets
- 15+ CSS-Only Music Players
- Adilene’s CSS/JS Music Player
- Ayano’s Neocities Comment Widget
- Chattable, Neocities-built chatbox
- Portfiend’s Flashing Lights Warning
- SCM Music Player Widget
- Solaria’s Simple Javascript/CSS Jukebox
X-References
- caniuse.com, a resource that tells you what browser versions certain HTML and CSS elements are supported in
- Glossary of Web Revival Terms
- HTML Cheatsheet
- List of CSS Properties
- List of CSS Default Values
Graphics
These are resources relating to graphics, graphic design, or creating art.
Browser-Based Graphic Editors
- blinkies.cafe
- Cloudpaint
- Dither images in different styles
- Dithermark
- Dither it!
- EZGif Gif Editor/Maker
- Flaming Text Generator
- GigaGlitter Text Generator
- Hekate’s 88x31 Button Maker
- JS Kidpix
- JS Paint
- Local PaintBBS
- Lospec Pixel Art Scaler
- Lynn’s 88x31 Button Maker
- Mastershot’s Actually Free No Watermark Browser Video Editor
- Metamapper Generate Windows 95 Graphics
- Monopro (Use a translator!)
- Online-Image-Editor (Add glitter to photos)
- Photopea, online Photoshop alternative
- Piskel Sprite Editor
- Pixilart Pixel Art Editor
- Pixlr Web Editor
- Seamless background maker
Color Palettes
- Colorhexa
- Colormind
- ColorSpace
- CoMiGo’s palette generator
- Coolors.co
- Dracula Color Palette
- HEXWORDS, find HEX colors for words
- Image Color Picker for getting hex codes from colors on images
- Lospec Palette List
- Open Color open-source color scheme
Free Graphics & Website Materials
- 88x31 Buttons
- 99GIF Shop
- Allyratworld Materials
- BAKENEKOKAN
- Betty’s Graphics
- Bonnibel’s Graphic Collection
- Catch a Star
- ClickArt 300,000 Images & Clip Art
- Cluster
- Cocktail Princess
- CommentsLive Graphics
- CSS3 Patterns Gallery
- da-lace
- Dokodemo’s Graphics
- Elfwink’s Pixels
- Engram Pixel
- Fool Lovers
- Frank-web
- free-backgrounds.com
- GifCities
- Glitter-Graphics and More
- Graphics including Web Ads
- Graphxkingdom
- GRSites Textures
- Hillhouse
- Ichigo Directory
- Ishimori
- Jan’s Graphics
- Jasmine Feng
- KABEGAMI-TANK
- King-Lulu-Deer
- KiraKira Parts
- Lapin Agile
- Lovesick.Cafe
- Lulu in Cyberspace
- Luna’s F2U Goodies
- Maguro’s Carrd
- The Noun Project
- Ohpixels
- OKUMONO
- Old school Graphics
- Openverse, 700mil+ openly licensed images, audio, & more
- Pixel-Diary
- Pixel Safari
- Pixel-Soup
- Pokyaron
- Queen’s Free World
- Raw Pixel
- Rose’s Rose Garden
- Sadtheme’s Pixels
- Sanguineroyal
- Middlepot
- SleepySprout Sozai
- Subtle Patterns
- Tabler Icons
- Taylor’s Tiny Backgrounds
- Texture Town
- Twice the Pixels
- web*citron
- Websets by Lynn
- Whimsical
- XYZ’s Carrd
- Yasuragian
Pixel Cliques & Clubs
Here is an ongoing list of active pixel clubs and cliques across the web that have either been created or revived from an older age of the internet. Unsure about what this is?
- Afternoon Tea
- Bunny Garden
- CDwORLD
- Charm Bracelets
- Compact Crayons
- Creatures Inside
- Dream Team
- Eau De Parfum Parlor
- Fizzy Vendor
- Hall of Rock
- Hold My Hand
- Jar Jams
- Kindness Rocks
- Kitty Friends
- Lava Lounge
- Nyanbo
- Objets
- Pill Pals
- Pill Party
- Pixel Potluck
- Pocket Town
- RPG Club
- Sticker Sheet Club
- Teeny Towers
Placeholder Images
- Dynamic Dummy Image Generator
- Generative Placeholder Images
- Lorem Picsum
- Placeholder Pics
- Placekitten Placeholder Images
Free Stock Images & Illustrations
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.
Webweaving Utilities
- Bookmarklet that adds the “contenteditable” attribute to literally every element on the page for easy testing
- Convert email newsletters into Atom feeds
- Copy + paste kaomoji
- Dead Link Checker
- Generate a Timestamp
- GTmetrix, shows how fast your site loads and gives recommendations on how to improve load times
- Pixels Converter for CSS Sizing
- RSS Box, for subscribing to websites that don’t have RSS feeds
- Smooth Gradient Sass Function
- Tiny Helpers, single-use tools for web developers
- Unicode Text Generators
Image & Art Utilities
- birme, bulk image resizing made easy
- Caesium Image Compressor
- Image Scrubber, online image EXIF data/metadata remover
- Remove backgrounds from images
- Squoosh Image Optimizer
- TinyPNG Image Compressor, web-based
- Toyls.com, a seamless background tile tester
Social Media Utilities
- CobyCat’s Pimp My SpaceHey Code Generator
- Heath’s SpaceHey Layout Generator
- How to Run Your Own Social Media
- StreetPass for Mastodon
Retro Utilities & Programs
Typefaces & Fonts
- Beautiful Webtype: In-Depth Guide to the Best Free Fonts
- Bunny Fonts
- coolLabs Fonts, a Google Fonts CDN replacement
- Font End Dev
- Fontspring, worry-free fonts
- fonts.upset.dev, a Google Fonts CDN replacement
- Free Japanese Font
- Humantooth’s Hosted Web Fonts
- Inclusive fonts - free or inexpensive readable fonts
- Kreative Korp Relay Fonts
- The Best of Creative Lettering
- The Ultimate Oldschool PC Font Pack
- Typetester Typesetting Tool
- Velvetyne Type Foundry
Other Software & Utilities
- 1Password Password Manager
- Bitwarden Password Manager
- ExifTool Metadata Editor
- KeePassXC Password Manager
- Syncthing File Syncing
Independent Web Alternatives
These are alternative projects, web services, and replacements for the corporate web or corporate services.
Creativity Tools & Programs
- Blender, 3D creation suite
- Every tool you could want to edit images in bulk
- Firealpaca, digital painting software
- GIMP Image Manipulator Program, an open-source Photoshop alternative
- HandBrake Video Transcoder
- Kdenlive, video editing software
- Krita Graphics Editor
- Libresprite, open-source fork of Aseprite (pixel art program)
- Mixx DJ Software
- OpenToonz 2D Animating Software
- Owncast, a self-hosted livestreaming service
- Schism Tracker Music Creator
- Paint.NET
Directories & Listings
Current and active directories and website listings for the small web.
- 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
- Bloglist Me
- BUKMARK.CLUB
- Café Rosé
- Curlie
- Darktheme Club
- Exploring the Personal Web, collection of directories and exploration paths by @arevakhach
- the hyperlink café
- indieblog.page
- Indie Newsletters
- Indieseek.xyz
- i.webthings
- LinkLane.net
- List-Me.com
- melanated
- MelonLand Surf Club
- Moonshot Listings
- Nekoweb Districts
- Neocities Neighborhoods
- Nerdlistings.Info [closing July 2024]
- nightfall.city
- No CSS Club
- The no-JS Club
- Non-profit bloggers
- ooh! directory
- Peelopaalu Directory
- Responsive Web Directory
- Sites with a /now page
- Sites with a /uses page
- Small World
- Smooth Sailing Listings
- The Whimsical Web
- Ye Olde Blogroll
eCommerce Alternatives
- Artisans Cooperative, an Etsy alternative
- Ecwid, a free Shopify alternative
- Mushroomy, a cute, by-artists, for-artists storefront platform & Etsy alternative
- Thirty Bees, a free, open-source Shopify alternative
Productivity Tools & Programs
- Alternative Internet List, a collection of networks and technology aiming at re-decentralizing the Internet
- Etherpad, Google Docs Alternative
- Framasoft Software’s De-Google-ify the Internet, a collection of homegrown Big Tech alternatives
- Goblin Tools, a collection of small, simple, single-task tools, mostly designed to help neurodivergent people with tasks they find overwhelming or difficult
Search Engines
- Creative Commons Media Search
- feedle, a search engine for blogs and podcasts
- Gibiru
- Kagi Search
- Marginalia
- Mwmbl
- Old’aVista
- SearchMySite
- SearX
- Stract
- Wiby.me
- Yep
Other Service Alternatives
- Album Whale, a music recommendations platform
- Ko-Fi, a donation service
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
- NewPipe, an alternative mobile YouTube client for Android
- Piped, an alternative YouTube frontend
- Scribe, a Medium link alternative
Zines
- Iffy Books Zines about hacking, free culture, gardening
- Melonland Surf Club E-Zine
- Solarpunk Magic Computer Club Zines
- Welcome to the Indie Web! by Manatee
- Wizard Zines - zines about programming (some free) plus posters and interactive playgrounds