Repolode
Submit
havenweb

havenweb/haven

A self-hostable, invite-only private blogging app built with Ruby on Rails, for sharing posts with friends and family via private RSS.

View on GitHubWebsite
Stars
815
Forks
50
Open issues
19
Last commit
4 days ago

What is it?

Haven is a private blog application where you write posts, create accounts for people you want to share with, and follow each other's blogs through built-in RSS. There is no self-signup for users, so only accounts you create can post or read, which keeps the space limited to friends and family rather than public or commercial publishing.

The web interface handles user management, blog customization, and writing posts in Markdown with live preview. Images are downscaled to reduce load times for low-bandwidth readers, and custom CSS and fonts can be added. The app ships without JavaScript frameworks, ads, or trackers, and supports images, videos, and audio. It also includes a built-in RSS reader for following other blogs and Havens.

Haven can be deployed through Docker, Heroku, or a managed hosting provider such as PikaPods, and the repository includes scripts for deploying to AWS EC2.

Key features

  • 01Invite-only user accounts with no public self-signup
  • 02Markdown post editor with live preview
  • 03Private RSS feeds for friends to follow your posts
  • 04Built-in RSS reader for following other blogs and Havens
  • 05Image downscaling, custom CSS and fonts, and support for video and audio

Use cases

  • Sharing personal writing privately with friends and family
  • Running a low-bandwidth family blog on a Raspberry Pi or small server
  • Quickly trying out a self-hosted blog with Docker Compose

Quick start

  1. 1

    Install Docker and docker-compose

  2. 2

    Clone the repository

    git clone https://github.com/havenweb/haven.git
  3. 3

    Enter the project directory

    cd haven
  4. 4

    Start Haven with Docker Compose (listens on port 3000)

    docker compose up

Things to know

  • Designed for private sharing with friends and family, not commercial blogs.
  • Invite-only: there is no self-signup, so you manage users yourself.
  • Uploaded images on the Heroku install may disappear within 24 hours, so Heroku is meant for experimentation only.
  • Heroku no longer has a free tier, so hosting there will likely cost about $16/month.

In collections

Self-hosted appsPrivacy & local-first toolsStatic site generators & documentation tools

Topics

#blog#self-hosted#rss#ruby-on-rails#privacy#markdown#decentralized-web#decentralized#haven#raspberry-pi

FAQ

What is haven?
A self-hostable, invite-only private blogging app built with Ruby on Rails, for sharing posts with friends and family via private RSS. Haven is a private blog application where you write posts, create accounts for people you want to share with, and follow each other's blogs through built-in RSS. There is no self-signup for users, so only accounts you create can post or read, which keeps the space limited to friends and family rather than public or commercial publishing.
Is haven free to use? What license does it have?
haven is open source under the MIT license. Check the license terms before using it in commercial products.
Is haven still maintained?
Actively maintained. The last commit to haven was on Nov 4, 2026.
What can I use haven for?
Sharing personal writing privately with friends and family Running a low-bandwidth family blog on a Raspberry Pi or small server Quickly trying out a self-hosted blog with Docker Compose
How do I install haven?
Install Docker and docker-compose Clone the repository: git clone https://github.com/havenweb/haven.git Enter the project directory: cd haven Start Haven with Docker Compose (listens on port 3000): docker compose up
Where can I get haven?
The source code and installation instructions are on GitHub: https://github.com/havenweb/haven

Summary generated by AI from the project's README. GitHub stats refresh daily.

Related projects