is-bio

is-bio is an open-source, self-hosted personal website engine built on Ruby on Rails that turns a local Markdown blog repository into a dynamic website with email subscriptions, multi-language support, and planned resume and portfolio features.

What is is-bio?

is-bio is a dynamic blog engine and personal website builder written in Ruby 3.3.x using the Ruby on Rails framework, backed by a SQLite database. It takes Markdown files from a local Git repository (set up per the markdown-blog approach) and publishes them to the web through a GitHub App that syncs changes on git push. The repository is maintained under the is-bio GitHub organization, and the README states the project has evolved into a SaaS product called leader.me, while is-bio remains the open-source, self-hosted engine.

Key Features

• Dynamic blog engine — Runs on Ruby on Rails with SQLite, so it supports features static generators cannot: email subscriptions are already integrated, and comments, likes, reading counts, and online payments are planned.
• Markdown + Git publishing — Write posts locally in Markdown and publish with git push; a GitHub App watches the markdown-blog repository and syncs file changes to the blog.
• Multi-language articles — Each post can be translated and displayed in 8 default languages (English, Chinese, Spanish, German, French, Portuguese, Japanese, and Russian), and additional languages can be added.
• Admin dashboard and job monitor — Log in at /admin to manage the site and at /jobs to inspect background tasks; credentials are set via Rails credentials.
• Background job processing — Solid Queue handles email sending, image thumbnail generation, and blog/file synchronization; start it with bin/jobs.
• Automatic image thumbnails — Uses ImageMagick (install via brew install imagemagick) to generate thumbnails automatically.
• One free theme with 8 color options — A single built-in theme is included with 8 color variations; more themes are planned for the future.
• Planned resume and portfolio — The next version will add a resume function, with portfolio to follow, making is-bio a fuller personal-branding platform.

Who is it for?

• Developers who already own a server — they can install is-bio alongside existing sites (the README shows how to avoid port 80/443 conflicts) for an estimated added cost of about $2/month.
• Programmers who want a dynamic personal blog — if static site generators like Jekyll or Hugo feel limiting, is-bio adds email subscriptions and will add comments, likes, and payments.
• Non-Ruby developers — the project's one-page documentation and the suggestion to use AI to implement small features make it accessible to people unfamiliar with Rails.
• Freelancers and independent consultants — the author describes using the blog to signal expertise and expects to accept payments directly on the site.

What can you do with is-bio?

• Publish from a local Markdown repo: set up the markdown-blog structure, then git push to sync posts to your blog automatically.
• Reach international readers: translate a post into any of the 8 built-in languages so it appears in multiple languages without a separate blog engine.
• Accept email subscriptions: connect SMTP credentials and let readers subscribe to new posts, with emails sent via background jobs.
• Build toward a personal brand hub: run a blog today and prepare for the resume and portfolio features coming in the next version.

How does is-bio work?

After installing Ruby and the required gems, you clone the repository, set credentials with bin/rails credentials:edit, prepare the SQLite database with rails db:migrate and rails db:seed, and install the theme. Then you create an admin user, configure a GitHub App to watch your markdown-blog repository, and start the Rails server (rails s) together with bin/jobs for background processing.

Pricing

is-bio is free and open-source. There are no priced tiers; the only expected cost is server usage. The README says that if you already run a server, adding is-bio may increase your cost by only $2/month.

Alternatives

• Jekyll — the static site generator that powers GitHub Pages; is-bio compares itself by being dynamic rather than static.
• Hugo — a fast static site generator; is-bio argues its dynamic features and one-page documentation are simpler for non-specialists.

FAQ

Is is-bio free?

Yes, is-bio is open-source and free to self-host. You only need a server that can run Ruby; if you already pay for one, the README estimates the added cost at about $2 per month.

What programming language does is-bio use?

is-bio is built on Ruby 3.3.x and the Ruby on Rails framework. Ruby gems are managed with Bundler, and the install process runs bundle install after cloning the repository.

Does is-bio support multiple languages?

Yes. Blog posts can be translated into 8 default languages: English, Chinese, Spanish, German, French, Portuguese, Japanese, and Russian. The README states additional languages can be supported easily.

How do I publish a post with is-bio?

Write your post as a Markdown file in a local repository configured with the markdown-blog approach. Then push the change with git, and a GitHub App will sync it to your blog. Full instructions are in the markdown-blog documentation.

What database does is-bio use?

is-bio uses SQLite by default. The development database file is created at ./storage/development.sqlite3 after running rails db:migrate and rails db:seed.