For years, WordPress has served as foundational infrastructure for countless websites and digital publishers across the internet. Now, Automattic - the company behind WordPress.com - is making a deliberate move to adapt to the rapidly shifting nature of the web, introducing a new platform called Spacefast that is built specifically to help users deploy vibe-coded websites and applications.

The launch signals that Automattic is looking beyond its traditional identity as a WordPress-centric business, recognizing that the way people build and publish on the web is undergoing a fundamental transformation driven by artificial intelligence tools and AI-assisted development workflows.

What Spacefast Offers

Spacefast is designed to function as a full infrastructure layer for vibe-coded projects. The platform bundles together the core components that any functional web application requires, including databases, user authentication, file upload capabilities, email handling, and analytics. Rather than forcing developers or non-technical builders to assemble these components from different providers, Spacefast aims to bring them together under one roof.

The platform enters a market that already includes competitors such as Lovable and Emergent, both of which offer combined interfaces and backend infrastructure for vibe-coded applications. Spacefast differentiates itself by taking a more open approach, allowing users to bring their own AI agents and tools rather than locking them into a single ecosystem.

Among the AI agents and chatbots that users can connect to Spacefast are ChatGPT, Claude, Hermes, OpenClaw, Grok Bot, Muse, Pi, Cursor, OpenCode, and Amp. Users also have the option to link an existing Git repository directly to the platform as an alternative starting point, giving technical users a familiar and flexible entry path.

Origins and the Person Behind the Product

Spacefast was developed by Batuhan İçöz, who built the initial version during one of Automattic's internal hackathon sprints earlier this year. At the time, İçöz was working on Beeper, the company's cross-platform messaging application. During that period, he noticed a recurring pattern when exploring vibe coding with friends who had no technical background - they were frequently sharing Vercel deployment links as their go-to solution for getting projects online.

"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 just as good? So I started working on what was called Stattic and now Spacefast."

That internal experiment eventually grew into a broader product. İçöz began sharing the tool with his own network, gathering feedback and incrementally adding features to make it more capable and versatile. Automattic conducted a quiet soft launch of Spacefast in September to collect user feedback before rolling it out more formally with today's announcement.

Use Cases and Market Positioning

Since its soft launch, Spacefast has attracted a range of use cases that go beyond what might be expected of a typical web deployment tool. Users and organizations have been building internal mockups, presentation slideshows, and promotional or offer-related websites on the platform. This breadth of usage puts Spacefast in an interesting competitive position - not just against developer-focused deployment services, but also against productivity and design tools.

Platforms such as Figma, Canva, and Notion have each launched products that sit at the crossroads of vibe coding, mockup creation, and presentation tooling, making the competitive landscape considerably wider than a direct head-to-head with pure deployment platforms.

İçöz argues that Spacefast holds a meaningful advantage over more closed competitors like Lovable precisely because of its flexibility. By giving users the freedom to choose which AI agent or chatbot they work with, Spacefast avoids the walled-garden approach. He acknowledges, however, that this openness may not appeal to every type of user - some people prefer a fully integrated experience where decisions about tooling are made for them.

Beyond flexibility, Spacefast benefits from being embedded within Automattic's existing product ecosystem. The company is positioned to roll out additional capabilities relatively quickly, including web analytics, native WordPress integration, and e-commerce functionality powered by WooCommerce. These integrations could give Spacefast a competitive edge that standalone vibe-coding platforms would struggle to replicate without significant development investment.

İçöz also pointed to enterprise customers as a key target segment, noting that large organizations are already dealing with the consequences of fragmented tooling adoption across their teams.

"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. With our existing products, we have experience serving enterprise customers."

Retention Challenges in a Fast-Moving AI Landscape

One of the persistent challenges for any new product launching in the AI space is holding onto users after the initial excitement fades. The current technology environment is characterized by rapid product releases, and users frequently move on to the next novel tool within days or weeks of trying something new. İçöz is candid about this reality and does not dismiss it.

He acknowledged that some level of user churn is inevitable, particularly among people who experiment with app-building out of curiosity but have no long-term interest in maintaining or developing applications. Rather than treating churn as a problem to be solved entirely, his focus is on making the experience compelling enough that users who do have genuine projects to build will find Spacefast indispensable.

"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."

Broader Context: The Changing Web

Spacefast is arriving at a moment when the broader web publishing industry is under considerable pressure. Many websites and digital publishers are experiencing declining traffic as AI-powered chatbots and search summaries increasingly answer user queries without directing them to source websites. The effects of this shift have been felt across the industry, including at the advertising revenue level for major platforms.

İçöz acknowledged that user behavior has already shifted meaningfully. People who might previously have built and deployed a WordPress site are now using tools like ChatGPT or Claude to generate web content or simple applications. He noted that as the web continues to evolve, some types of sites may no longer require a traditional content management system at all - a candid admission from someone at a company whose core product is exactly that.

This acknowledgment reflects a pragmatic view of where the web is heading and helps explain why Automattic is investing in a product like Spacefast rather than doubling down exclusively on WordPress-based solutions.

Turbulence at Automattic

The launch of Spacefast comes against a backdrop of significant internal upheaval at Automattic. The company has endured a period of organizational instability that drew widespread attention across the technology industry. In a situation that drew comparisons to high-profile leadership crises at other major tech firms, Automattic's board moved to push out CEO Matt Mullenweg, only for him to return to a position of control within a matter of days.

The board members who had challenged his leadership were subsequently replaced, and the company's interim chief financial officer departed within weeks of being appointed to the role. Adding to the turbulence, Automattic also initiated layoffs across several of its properties, with further reductions reported to be anticipated.

Despite this backdrop, the company is pressing forward with new product development. Spacefast represents one of the more visible bets Automattic is making on the future of web infrastructure - one that leans into AI-assisted development rather than competing against it, and that attempts to leverage the company's existing technical assets in a direction well beyond its WordPress origins.