Zen State - Relaunching ZenDenPen for 2026

Published at: 2026-06-03

One year ago , I launched ZenDenPen as a beautiful experiment. I wanted to see if people still cared about the "Small Web." What I learned is that while the AI-generated "slop" of the modern internet is louder than ever, the hunger for a quiet, handcrafted sanctuary still exists, but people have a hard time finding such places.
So I need your help. Reach out to people, get them to experience the old web by having a Zen Den with a Pen!

Today, I'm relaunching with a complete revamp of the core system. ZenDenPen version 2.0.

A Simpler, Lighter Design

I’ve shed many dependencies. I moved away from Bulma and rebuilt the entire dashboard and system using PicoCSS. The result is a significantly more lightweight experience that aligns with the ZenDenPen mission: low noise, high speed.

The dashboard is now cleaner and more intuitive. For our supporters and premium members, the system now supports a multi-website dashboard, allowing you to manage and edit your entire portfolio of sanctuaries (web sites) from a single, unified interface.

The Dynamic Programming Debate

Over the past year, I experimented extensively with adding dynamic programming capabilities. I explored integrating Janet, Lua, Tcl, Go via Scriggo, Tengo, and JavaScript or other scripting languages. I even experimented with adding pocketbase features for paying members.

Ultimately, I decided not to enable dynamic programming for the time being. I have started working on my own programming language called Zbor which WILL be used in Zenix and other projects. Zenix WILL be a self hostable system which WILL allow dynamic content.

While the code exists and has been safely archived, I’ve chosen to keep ZenDenPen strictly static for now. As a one-man show, my energy is better spent maintaining the "Sanctuary" than chasing the infinite security rabbit holes that come with sandboxing user scripts. By staying static, we stay secure, fast, and focused on the art of HTML and CSS and JavaScript.

Some new ideas came along and I will be launching other projects including https://fullstackdevops.eu.

Beautiful drag and drop GUI or a simple text editor

Another thing which I've experimented with was GrapesJS which provides a drag and drop GUI for editing websites. After a lot of hard work and deliberation I decided that it doesn't align with the ZenDenPen simplicity of ideas and I removed all dependencies. I wanted to make it easier for anyone to build a website. However, I decided that creating a template or a video explaining HOW to actually take a HTML template and manually modify it is much better. So instead, I opted for an enhanced editor with syntax highlighting, thus adding syntax highlighting.

Two different premium upgrades

I've added two different premium upgrades. One is a yearly plan and the other is a 3 year plan for peace of mind. Each person who upgrades opens up new registration spots for the free dens.
The difference between a free den and premium is mainly in disk space, bandwidth, templating and you can use custom domains;) and have multiple websites hosted at the same time.

Why yearly prepaid and not monthly subscriptions?

It comes down to the brutal math of transaction costs. Between credit card processors, banking fees, currency conversions, and local bureaucracy, processing a small monthly micro-transaction eats up a massive percentage of the actual profit.

Giant tech corporations processing millions of transactions daily have the leverage to negotiate tiny custom rates with processors. As a small, independent operator, I can't compete with that, and frankly, my time is better spent building features than fighting transaction friction.

To make sure ZenDenPen is right for you before committing, you can always start with a free den. No credit card required, no pressure.

Note: If you are in Europe (or anywhere else globally) and prefer to avoid credit cards entirely, you can always opt for an IBAN bank transfer at checkout. You will have to wait a few days (3 to 5 working days to be safe) since IBAN processing is not instant and I will manually approve your account. So if you want to buy 3 years of premium you can do that, just let me know

What’s New and What’s Coming

• ZIP Uploads for All: Everyone can now deploy their entire site in seconds via ZIP upload.
• HandcraftedWeb.eu: Our neighborhood portal is officially live. It’s the best way to discover other residents and find inspiration for your own den. The reason why i opted for keeping HandCraftedWeb separate was that others might submit their websites which are hosted somewhere else;) A way to combine ZenDenPen and other indie web sites.

On the Horizon:

• I am prototyping a simple static site generator integrated directly into ZenDenPen. This will take the "hard work" out of templating for those who don't want to use tools like Hugo or Jekyll locally.
• I am also exploring rsync/scp/sftp support to make file transfers even more seamless for power users. I will probably build a zdp command line to allow YOU to easily upload your site from the command line

The Fight Continues

Marketing in an age of AI-driven noise is difficult. My minimal efforts last year taught me that I need to be more vocal about why this project matters. ZenDenPen is part of a larger, interconnected ecosystem including LinSublim and PrivacyZen. Together, these projects aim to give you back your digital autonomy.

Join the Resistance

If you believe in a web without tracking, without algorithms, and without corporate greed, consider joining us as a Supporter. Supporter and Premium members get first access to all new features, and your contributions directly fund the development of our "Zen" ecosystem.

Leave us a message on the Community Forum and tell us what you’re building.

The web is quiet again. Welcome home.

I've written a longer technical explanation on my personal website, check that if you're interested.

— The ZenDenPen Team of One
Andrei