Automattic Launches Spacefast to Deploy Vibe-Coded Apps

Automattic, the owner of WordPress.com, has introduced Spacefast, a new platform aimed at helping users deploy applications and websites built through AI-assisted or vibe coding methods. The service is designed to supply the backend infrastructure needed to turn AI-generated prototypes into functional digital products, offering tools such as databases, authentication, file uploads, email capabilities, and analytics. Spacefast represents Automattic’s effort to expand beyond its traditional identity as a WordPress-focused company and position itself as infrastructure for a broader, AI-driven creation ecosystem. The product is intended to compete with emerging vibe coding platforms such as Lovable and Emergent, but with a more open approach. Rather than tying users to a single integrated interface and toolchain, Spacefast allows users to connect their preferred AI agents and chatbots, including ChatGPT, Claude, Hermes, OpenClaw, Grokbot, Muse, Pi, Cursor, Opencode, and Amp. Users can also connect an existing Git repository to begin building and deploying projects. This flexibility is intended to give creators more control over the tools they use while still providing the managed infrastructure needed to launch working websites, apps, or services. Spacefast is led by Batuhan Icoz, who began developing the concept during an Automattic hackathon sprint earlier this year. At the time, Icoz was working on Beeper, the company’s cross-platform messaging app, and observed that non-technical users often relied on third-party deployment services, including links from Vercel, to publish their AI-built projects. He believed Automattic’s existing infrastructure, including its content delivery network, could be used to create a more streamlined deployment experience for a wider range of creators. The project was originally called Stattic before being renamed Spacefast. The platform was soft-launched in September to gather feedback, and Automattic has reported a range of early use cases. Users and organizations have reportedly used Spacefast for internal mockups, slideshows, landing pages, and offer-related websites. The company sees the product as relevant to a market where design and productivity tools such as Figma, Canva, and Notion are also encroaching on the space between AI-generated content, prototyping, and deployment. Automattic is also positioning Spacefast as a consolidation option for enterprise customers. Icoz noted that many businesses are dealing with IT sprawl as marketing teams rapidly produce landing pages and other web assets through tools such as Lovable. Spacefast could allow enterprises to centralize those efforts with a company that already has experience serving enterprise needs, along with potential integration paths to Automattic’s existing products, including WordPress, web analytics, and WooCommerce. The launch comes amid a challenging period for Automattic. The company has recently experienced leadership turmoil, including the temporary removal and return of CEO Matt Mullenweg, board changes, executive departures, and layoffs across several properties. These disruptions underscore the pressure on Automattic to adapt as AI tools reshape how websites and apps are created, deployed, and consumed. Icoz acknowledged a major risk for new AI-centric products: user churn. He said some people may experiment with vibe coding briefly and then move on, especially if they are not genuinely interested in building apps. To counter that, Automattic plans to emphasize ease of use and clear value, making Spacefast deployment noticeably simpler and more effective than using standalone AI tools alone. Spacefast also arrives as many websites face declining traffic due to AI chatbots and search summaries, trends that have affected publishers and even contributed to slower growth in Google’s advertising revenue. Icoz acknowledged that some users may create experiences through ChatGPT or Claude without needing a traditional content management system. In that shifting landscape, Automattic appears to be betting that Spacefast can become infrastructure for a wider class of AI-generated web projects while extending the company’s reach beyond WordPress.