Pick a path
The low-cost pro workflow if you skip Etch Studio
Last reviewed:
If you accept Geary's premise that most sites do not need WordPress, you still need a Monday-morning workflow. Pick the outcome you are trying to ship — then follow the get-started baseline on that path.
What are you shipping?
Four paths, one baseline each
Each card links to a get-started page with accounts, steps, and what you keep. Repo sync or export from hosted builders varies by product and plan — check current docs before you commit.
Brochure
Brochure site you own
For landing pages and marketing sites — often just a Next.js app in v0 or Cursor, deployed from GitHub, with no CMS until the client must edit copy themselves.
You keep: One Git repository with your Next.js project
Get started →
Dynamic
Site with login, forms, or a CMS
For auth, member areas, forms, or editorial workflows that need a real database or CMS — not a plain brochure site.
You keep: Git repository plus database or CMS you can export or self-host
Get started →
Prototype
Visual preview first, then the repo
For people who want a visual preview first but refuse to rent the project forever — start in a hosted builder, then move to GitHub and Cursor.
You keep: Git repository after you move off the hosted builder
Get started →
WordPress
Stay on WordPress with EtchWP
For lifetime deal holders who still need WordPress — or teams not ready to leave PHP entirely. EtchWP on your host, Cursor via the Connector, data in core WordPress.
You keep: Your WordPress database and EtchWP license
Get started →
Quick answers
Frequently asked questions
- How do I pick a path?
- Start with what you are trying to ship. Brochure or landing page → Brochure. Auth, forms, or editorial CMS → Dynamic. Visual preview first but you want a repo → Prototype. Already on WordPress with EtchWP → WordPress. Each path links to a get-started page with the baseline steps.
- Do I need WordPress at all?
- Only if the site still needs WordPress — membership plugins, WooCommerce, or a team that lives in wp-admin. Geary's pitch is that most brochure sites do not. Brochure, Dynamic, and Prototype assume no WordPress. The WordPress path is for lifetime deal holders who want EtchWP on their host.
- What does Etch Studio give me instead?
- The same Svelte canvas on a vendor tenant, one-click Cloudflare deploy, and a ZIP of compiled files. On August 25, 2026, Geary confirmed the Etch Connector works in Studio for BYO IDE and model. What you do not get is a Git repository or a re-import path — editing stays in the hosted app.
- Are these tool links affiliate or sponsored?
- No. This site is not affiliated with Digital Gravy, Etch, or any third-party product named here, and receives no compensation for mentioning them. Tool names appear because they are common in the no-WordPress stack, not because anyone paid for placement. Check each vendor's current docs before you commit.
Go deeper
Context when you need it
What you keep
The don't-need-WordPress comparison — workflows and ownership, not a brand bake-off.
Hub essay
Promises, contradiction, and the full case — not the vendor thread.
Articles
Every published page, grouped by the question it answers.
Rewrite whenRewrite this page when a named hosted builder changes its repo export policy, when Etch Studio ships Git or re-import, or when the August 2026 stream claims about ZIP and Cloudflare are superseded by a newer public demo.