WordPress has long served as a critical technology and content management system for websites, including TechCrunch. Responding to the changing state of the web, Automattic, the owner of WordPress.com, has introduced a new service called Spacefast. This platform allows users to deploy websites and applications built through "vibe coding."
Spacefast is designed to provide the infrastructure required for vibe-coded applications, such as databases, authentication, file uploads, email services, and analytics, to turn code into functional websites or services. The product competes with options like Lovable and Emergent, which offer similar interface and backend solutions, but positions itself as a more open alternative.
Users can connect Spacefast with various agents and chatbots, including ChatGPT, Claude, Hermes, OpenClaw, Grokbot, Muse, Pi, Cursor, Opencode, and Amp. Alternatively, users can connect a Git repository to Spacefast to initiate the deployment process.
The product is led by Batuhan Icoz, who developed the concept during one of Automattic's hackathon sprints earlier this year. Icoz previously worked on the company's Beeper messaging app and noted that his non-technical friends often shared Vercel links while exploring vibe coding. He recognized a need for a better way to set up projects and utilized Automattic's existing infrastructure rather than relying on competitors like Cloudflare.
"I thought there had to be a better way for everyone to set up and deploy their projects. 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," Icoz told TechCrunch.
After refining the solution with friends and adding dynamic features, Automattic soft-launched the product in September to gather feedback ahead of today's launch. The company has observed varied use cases, including internal mockups, slideshows, and promotional websites. However, Spacefast also faces competition from productivity tools like Figma, Canva, and Notion that are expanding into vibe coding.
Icoz believes Spacefast offers an advantage by allowing users to choose their preferred AI agent and customize the workflow. The counterargument is that some users prefer a turnkey solution. Additionally, Spacefast benefits from Automattic's ecosystem, enabling easy integration of web analytics, WordPress features, and WooCommerce e-commerce functionality.
"For enterprises, the problem right now is IT sprawl, as their marketing teams are churning out landing pages on services like Lovable, and they want to consolidate and work with a company that understands the enterprise needs," Icoz stated. "With our existing products, we have experience serving enterprise customers."
A challenge for new AI products is user retention; users often move on to the next tool quickly. Icoz acknowledges this churn but aims to ensure Spacefast makes building so easy and effective that users prefer it. "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 added.
As publishers struggle with dwindling traffic from AI chatbots, Icoz noted that fewer people are using WordPress for site creation, suggesting the web may not always need a traditional content management system. Spacefast arrives during a turbulent period for Automattic, following a board saga involving CEO Matt Mullenweg, board replacements, and recent layoffs.
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