Automattic, the company that owns WordPress.com, has launched a new service called Spacefast that lets people deploy websites and apps built with vibe coding, the practice of building software by describing what you want to an AI tool and letting it write the code.
What is Spacefast and what does it do?
Spacefast provides the back-end pieces that vibe-coded projects often lack. It includes databases, authentication, file uploads, email and analytics, so a project can run as a working website, app or service rather than a prototype. The product competes with Lovable and Emergent, which also offer both the interface and the underlying infrastructure for vibe-coded apps. Spacefast takes a more open approach, according to the company.
Which AI tools can connect to Spacefast?
Users can connect Spacefast to a number of AI agents and chatbots, including ChatGPT, Claude, Hermes, OpenClaw, Grok Bot, Muse, Pi, Cursor, OpenCode and Amp. They can also connect a Git repository to get started. The flexibility is the central pitch. Batuhan İçöz, who leads the product, said Automattic wants people to use the tools they already prefer.
İçöz began the project during one of the company’s hackathon sprints earlier this year. He was working on Beeper, the company’s cross-platform messaging app, at the time. While he explored vibe coding, he said, his non-technical friends kept sending him Vercel links to the projects they had built, and he decided there had to be an easier way for people to set up and deploy their work.
“I thought there had to be a better way for everyone to set up and deploy their projects,” İçöz told TechCrunch over a call. “Automattic already has good infrastructure, but we have been traditionally associated with just WordPress. I thought, why do I have to use Cloudflare when we have a CDN (content delivery network) just as good? So I started working on what was called Stattic and now Spacefast.”
He eventually shared the tool with those friends and added features to make it more useful. Automattic soft-launched the product in September to collect feedback before the full launch. Users have found a range of uses, according to the company, including internal mockups, slideshows and websites tied to specific offers.
Who is Spacefast competing with?
Spacefast also faces competition from larger software companies. Figma, Canva and Notion have each launched products that sit at the intersection of vibe coding, mockups and presentations. İçöz argued that Spacefast stands apart from something like Lovable because it lets users choose their own agent and work the way they prefer. He acknowledged a counterargument: some users may not want to make that choice and would rather have everything decided for them.
Spacefast’s place inside Automattic is another advantage, the company said. Automattic can quickly add products such as web analytics, WordPress integration and e-commerce features through WooCommerce, which could help it compete with the broader field.
Enterprise customers are a particular target. İçöz said many large organizations are struggling with IT sprawl because their marketing teams are producing landing pages on services like Lovable. Those companies want to consolidate and work with a provider that understands enterprise needs, he said, and Automattic already serves enterprise customers through its existing products.
Retaining users after launch is a persistent challenge for new AI products. People often try a new tool with enthusiasm and move on within days or weeks. İçöz expects some churn, since some people may have no interest in building apps at all. His answer is to make the product so easy to use, and the results so much better, that people have a reason to stay.
“I think what we need to do as a product is make sure that when you build something with SpaceFast, it is so easy, and the results are so much better than without Spacefast,” he said.
The launch also reflects a shift in how websites get made. Many publishers are seeing traffic fall in what is known as zero-click search, as AI chatbots and summaries answer questions directly, and Google itself has seen its ad revenue growth slow. İçöz acknowledged that more people are now building websites with ChatGPT or Claude instead of deploying them on WordPress. He said some sites will not need a content management system at all as the web expands.
Spacefast arrives after a turbulent stretch at Automattic. The company’s board pushed out CEO Matt Mullenweg, but he returned to control within days. The board was later replaced, and an interim chief financial officer left within weeks of being appointed. In October, TechCrunch reported that the company had begun layoffs across several of its properties and that more cuts were expected.
Cet article a été rédigé avec l'assistance de l'IA.
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