General News

OpenStation Blog: A better way to use WordPress

I have been using WordPress for a long time, and I still love it. But wp-admin has basically worked in the same way for years.

OpenStation is our attempt to change that.

It’s a simple idea: instead of moving from one admin page to another, you have a desktop where you can open different parts of WordPress at the same time.

A screenshot of the OpenStation interface displaying a welcome message and a list of recent posts on the left, with a detailed view of the 'A better way to use WordPress' post on the right.

Your WordPress. Your workspace.

You can open your posts, pages, media, plugins, WooCommerce or any OpenStation app in different windows.

You can move them around, minimize them or put two things next to each other.

It may sound like a small difference, but once you start using WordPress this way, it changes a lot.

Real-time previews

You can also see your changes while you are working on them.

No need to constantly jump between wp-admin and the frontend just to check how something looks.

Screenshot of an OpenStation interface showcasing a blog post titled 'A better way to use WordPress' with a dark theme and multiple sections discussing features and mobile compatibility.

Apps inside WordPress

This is one of my favorite parts.

We are building apps like AllTerrain Forms, Photo Editor (And more!) specifically for OpenStation.

They are still WordPress plugins, but they feel much more like normal desktop apps.

A black Nike Air Force 1 sneaker displayed on a table, featuring a blue swoosh and 'OpenStation' branding.

WordPress on your phone

We also wanted OpenStation to work properly on mobile.

You can install it as a PWA and use WordPress from your phone almost like any other app.

A digital interface displaying a grid of application icons with sections for apps and system tools, including options for dashboard, posts, media, and settings.

Performance Is Fast. Really fast.

OpenStation is not only about changing how WordPress looks.

We have put a lot of work into making it fast. In many cases, opening and moving between WordPress screens is faster than using them directly from wp-admin.

We are also working on caching and preloading parts of WordPress before you need them.

The goal is very simple: you click something and it opens FAST.

And it is still WordPress

This is important.

We are not trying to replace WordPress or build another platform on top of it.

Your plugins are still your plugins. WooCommerce is still WooCommerce. Your content stays in WordPress.

OpenStation just gives you a different way to use all of it.

And, of course, it is open source.

Thank you

And finally, a big thank you to everyone in the WordPress community who has tried OpenStation, shared feedback, reported bugs or simply told others about it.

Grid of contributors to OpenStation showcasing their profile pictures and the number of merged pull requests (PRs) each has contributed.

And especially to all the contributors who are helping us build it. OpenStation would not be what it is today without you.

There is still a lot we want to do, and seeing people contributing, experimenting and building things with OpenStation is probably the best part of the whole project.

Thank you ❤

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