BlueGriffon

A user-friendly open-source WYSIWYG HTML editor for modern web design

Overview of BlueGriffon

BlueGriffon is an open-source WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) web editor for Windows, designed to help users create and edit web pages visually. Built on Mozilla's Gecko engine—famous for powering Firefox—BlueGriffon delivers accurate page rendering and strong support for the latest web standards.

Features and Capabilities

BlueGriffon emphasizes accessibility for both beginners and experienced developers. Its intuitive interface presents editing tools in a familiar word-processor-style layout, enabling the design of attractive web pages without the need for hand-coding. Users can insert images, tables, forms, and multimedia elements directly onto their pages.

The software provides built-in support for the following:

• HTML5 and XHTML
• CSS 2.1, large areas of CSS3, and CSS Media Queries
• SVG graphics
• MathML for mathematical content
• Editing both visual layout and raw source code

Switching between the WYSIWYG editor and Source View is fast, allowing seasoned developers to fine-tune code as needed. BlueGriffon’s code view helps maintain clean structure and compliance with modern web standards.

Performance and Usability

The Gecko-based rendering ensures that projects will display in BlueGriffon much like they would in current Firefox browsers. This reduces the guesswork when targeting Firefox users and improves reliability for standards-compliant sites.

BlueGriffon offers a robust selection of editing tools:

• Drag-and-drop elements for page layout
• Comprehensive CSS editing panels
• Preview tabs for viewing code in both HTML4 and HTML5
• PHP, comments, and processing instruction support for advanced users

The application regularly receives updates to fix issues, refine panels, offer expanded file support (including local PHP files), and improve localization for non-English users.

Extensibility and Add-ons

While BlueGriffon is free, it can be expanded through add-ons, some of which require payment. These extensions provide features such as advanced CSS editors, templates, and PDF export capabilities. Managing add-ons might present a learning curve, but they offer considerable value for professional workflows.

Limitations

Documentation is somewhat limited, which may result in a trial-and-error approach for new users, especially when dealing with advanced features or add-ons. Certain user interface quirks have been observed—such as occasional focus loss while switching between panels—but improvements are ongoing based on community feedback.

Some features, like advanced template management or full-featured CSS frameworks, may not be as comprehensive as those found in dedicated commercial web design tools. However, BlueGriffon effectively covers the essentials for modern website development.

Conclusion

BlueGriffon stands out as an accessible and standards-compliant tool for building and editing web pages on Windows. Its WYSIWYG editor, adherence to current web standards, and expandability through add-ons make it a strong choice for both newcomers and web professionals seeking a free alternative.