presskit() Is Dead — Here Are the Best Modern Alternatives [2026]

If you're searching for a dopresskit alternative, you're not alone. presskit() — the free, open-source press kit tool created by Rami Ismail of Vlambeer — was the gold standard for indie game press kits from 2013 through roughly 2017. It established the layout that journalists came to expect, and hundreds of studios relied on it. But presskit() hasn't been meaningfully updated in nearly a decade, requires PHP 5 and FTP hosting that barely exists anymore, and breaks on most modern servers. It's time to move on.

This article covers what happened to presskit(), why it no longer works, and the best modern alternatives available to indie developers in 2026.

What Was presskit() and Why Did It Matter?

presskit() (stylized as presskit(), hosted at dopresskit.com) was a PHP-based tool that generated professional press kit pages from XML data files. Rami Ismail created it in 2013 as part of his broader mission to help indie game developers with the non-development aspects of shipping a game. It was revolutionary for its time because it solved a real problem: indie developers had no standardized, professional way to present press materials.

The tool gave indie studios the same professional presentation that AAA publishers had, at zero cost. It was free, open source, and produced a clean, standardized layout that journalists quickly learned to navigate. Over the following years, it became the de facto standard for indie game press kits.

Why presskit() Worked

• Standardized layout — Journalists knew exactly where to find screenshots, trailers, and factsheets
• Free and open source — No cost, no vendor lock-in
• Professional appearance — Clean, responsive design that looked credible
• Easy for its era — For developers already comfortable with FTP and basic server management, it was straightforward
• Community adoption — Hundreds of studios used it, reinforcing the standard

The Legacy

presskit() didn't just create a tool — it defined what a game press kit should look like. The factsheet sidebar, the screenshot gallery with download links, the embedded trailer section — this layout has been copied by virtually every press kit tool that followed. When you see a press kit in 2026 that has a sidebar with platform/release date/price info, that's presskit()'s influence.

Why presskit() Is Dead in 2026

Despite its importance to indie game history, presskit() has been effectively abandoned since approximately 2014-2017. The GitHub repository still exists, but active development stopped years ago. Here's why it no longer works for most developers:

1. PHP 5 Requirement on Modern Hosting

presskit() was built for PHP 5, which reached end-of-life in 2018. Modern hosting providers run PHP 8.x, and many have dropped PHP 5 support entirely. While some hosts still offer PHP 7+ compatibility modes, presskit() was never updated to handle the changes in PHP's syntax and behavior across major versions. The result: errors, broken pages, or complete failure to render.

2. FTP Deployment Is Obsolete

The installation process for presskit() requires uploading files via FTP to a PHP-capable web server. In 2026, FTP is a legacy protocol. Most developers use Git-based deployments, static site hosting (Vercel, Netlify, GitHub Pages), or managed platforms like WordPress. Setting up a dedicated PHP server with FTP access just for a press kit is impractical.

3. XML Configuration Is Painful

presskit() stores all data in XML files that you edit by hand. XML is verbose, unforgiving of syntax errors, and generally unfamiliar to modern developers who work with JSON, YAML, or graphical interfaces. As Press Kitty's comparison notes: "If your XML is not valid, or if your server isn't set up correctly, you will see errors that may not make sense."

4. No Modern Features

presskit() has no Steam integration, no analytics, no WYSIWYG editor, no image optimization, no mobile-responsive design beyond basic CSS, no multi-language support, and no way to manage game key requests. Every feature that modern press kit tools offer was added after presskit() stopped being maintained.

5. No Support or Community

When something breaks — and it will — there's no one to help. The project has no active maintainer, no support forum, and no documentation updates. You're on your own debugging decade-old PHP code.

6. Security Concerns

Running unmaintained PHP code on a public web server is a security risk. PHP 5 has known vulnerabilities that will never be patched in the context of presskit(). If your press kit is hosted alongside other content on the same server, you're introducing unnecessary risk.

The Market Context: Why Alternatives Matter Now

The indie game market has exploded since presskit() was created. In 2013, Steam had a few hundred releases per year. By 2024, that number exceeded 14,000 annual releases. More games means more developers need press kits, and more developers means a bigger market for tools that make press kit creation simple.

At the same time, the barrier to entry for game development has dropped dramatically. Engines like Unity, Unreal, and Godot are free. Solo developers and tiny teams are shipping games in record numbers. Many of these developers have strong technical skills in game development but limited experience with web technologies, marketing, or PR infrastructure.

This creates a clear need: modern press kit tools that are easy to use, don't require PHP/FTP knowledge, and produce the professional results that presskit() once delivered.

The Best dopresskit Alternatives in 2026

Here's every serious alternative to presskit(), evaluated on ease of use, pricing, features, and whether it preserves the self-hosted ethos that made presskit() special.

1. presskit.gg — The Spiritual Successor (Free, Self-Hosted)

presskit.gg is a free, open-source WordPress plugin designed as the direct successor to presskit(). It follows the same philosophy — free, open source, self-hosted — but runs on modern infrastructure that 99% of developers can access.

How it works: Install the plugin on any WordPress site, fill in your game and studio details through the WordPress admin panel, and your press kit is live on your own domain. No PHP file editing, no FTP, no XML.

Why it's the best presskit() replacement:

• Same philosophy — Free, open source, self-hosted, no vendor lock-in
• Modern stack — Runs on WordPress (which powers 40%+ of the web) instead of raw PHP 5
• Your domain — Press kit lives at yourstudio.com/press-kit, not on someone else's site
• Your data — Everything stored in your WordPress database, fully exportable
• No recurring cost — Free plugin, your only cost is WordPress hosting (which you may already have)
• Professional layout — Clean, journalist-friendly design inspired by the presskit() standard

Best for: Developers who already use WordPress, or who want the self-hosted benefits of presskit() without the technical headaches. If you believe your press kit data should live on your own domain under your own control, presskit.gg is the closest thing to a modern presskit().

Limitations: Requires a WordPress installation. If you don't use WordPress and don't want to, this adds a dependency.

2. Press Kitty (IMPRESS) — The Easy Hosted Option (Free Tier)

Press Kitty is a hosted press kit service by IMPRESS, a company building tools for indie game marketing. It's the most popular hosted alternative and the tool that most aggressively markets itself as a presskit() replacement.

How it works: Sign up, create your company and game profiles using a web-based editor, optionally import data from Steam, and publish. Your press kit lives at impress.games/press-kit/your-game.

Key features:

• Free for up to 3 games and 1 company
• Steam import — automatically pulls data from your Steam page
• WYSIWYG + Markdown editor
• AI translations (paid tier)
• Google Analytics integration
• ZIP download of all assets for journalists

Best for: Developers who want the fastest possible setup with zero technical requirements. Press Kitty excels at reducing friction to near-zero.

Limitations:

• Your press kit lives on impress.games, not your own domain (custom domain support is "Coming Soon" at time of writing)
• Vendor lock-in — your data lives on their servers, and export is also "Coming Soon"
• Not open source — you can't audit, modify, or self-host the code
• Plus tier pricing isn't transparent on the main site

For a detailed comparison, see our Press Kitty vs presskit.gg analysis.

3. PressKitHero — The General-Purpose Option ($20-80/month)

PressKitHero is a general-purpose press kit builder — not game-specific, but used by some game studios. It offers a clean editor and custom domain support.

Pricing:

• Free: 1 press kit, 1 user
• Company: $20/month (1 kit, unlimited users, custom domain)
• Agency: $80/month (unlimited kits)

Best for: Studios that need press kits for non-game products too, or companies with multiple brands. The Agency tier is relevant for publishers managing multiple titles.

Limitations:

• Not designed for games — missing game-specific fields like platform, engine, genre
• Expensive compared to free alternatives ($240/year for the Company plan)
• Overkill for a solo indie developer with one game

4. Pressdeck.io — The App-Focused Alternative (Freemium)

Pressdeck.io is a newer press kit tool targeting app and game developers. The founder was active on Reddit offering free press kit creation to build the user base, suggesting it's still in growth mode.

Best for: Mobile game and app developers who want a clean, modern press kit.

Limitations:

• Relatively new with unclear long-term viability
• Pricing structure is JS-rendered and not easily discoverable
• Smaller community and less established reputation

5. presskit.html / Milou — Static Site Generators (Free)

presskit.html was an early attempt to modernize presskit() by replacing PHP with static HTML generation. It was itself eventually abandoned. Milou is a more recent fork that updates presskit.html to Node.js 20+, switches from XML to YAML, and uses modern CSS.

How they work: You define your press kit data in XML (presskit.html) or YAML (Milou) files, run a build command, and get static HTML files you can host anywhere — GitHub Pages, Netlify, Vercel, any web server.

Best for: Developers comfortable with command-line tools who want maximum portability and zero hosting requirements. Static files can be hosted for free almost anywhere.

Limitations:

• Command-line workflow only — no GUI, no WYSIWYG editor
• Milou is a small, community-maintained project with uncertain long-term support
• No built-in features like analytics, Steam import, or key management
• Updates require regenerating and redeploying the static files

6. DIY — Build It Yourself

Some developers build their press kit as a custom page on their existing website. This could be a WordPress page (without a plugin), a Notion page, a section of their Squarespace/Wix site, or raw HTML.

Best for: Developers with web development skills who want total control and don't want to depend on any tool.

Limitations:

• Time-consuming — you're building what press kit tools give you for free
• Easy to miss important sections that journalists expect
• No standardized layout — journalists won't find things where they expect them
• Maintenance burden entirely on you

Comparison Table: dopresskit Alternatives at a Glance

How to Migrate from presskit() to a Modern Tool

If you're currently running presskit() and want to migrate, here's the process:

Step 1: Export Your Current Data

Your presskit() data lives in XML files on your server. Download everything:

• data.xml (company data)
• Each game folder's data.xml
• All images and assets from the images/ directories

Step 2: Choose Your New Tool

Based on the comparison above, pick the tool that matches your priorities. If you valued presskit()'s self-hosted, open-source philosophy, presskit.gg is the most natural migration path. If you want the fastest migration with the least effort, Press Kitty's Steam import can rebuild your kit from your store page in minutes.

Step 3: Recreate Your Press Kit

Enter your data into the new tool. Most of the content (descriptions, factsheets, team info) can be copied directly from your XML files. Screenshots and assets just need to be re-uploaded.

Step 4: Set Up Redirects

If your old presskit() was at a URL like yourstudio.com/presskit/, set up a 301 redirect to your new press kit URL. This preserves any SEO value from links pointing to your old press kit and ensures journalists with bookmarked links still find your current materials.

Step 5: Update Your Links

Update your press kit URL everywhere: Steam page, website navigation, social media bios, email signatures, and any pitch email templates you use.

Which Alternative Should You Choose?

The right choice depends on what matters most to you:

Choose presskit.gg if:

• You already use WordPress (or don't mind setting it up)
• You want your press kit on your own domain
• You value open source and data ownership
• You want the presskit() philosophy on modern technology
• Budget: Free

Choose Press Kitty if:

• You want the absolute fastest setup (under 15 minutes)
• You're comfortable with your press kit on a third-party domain
• You want Steam import and AI translations
• You don't need custom domain or data export right now
• Budget: Free for up to 3 games

Choose PressKitHero if:

• You need press kits for non-game products too
• You need multiple user accounts on one plan
• Custom domain is important and you don't use WordPress
• Budget: $20-80/month

Choose Milou if:

• You're comfortable with command-line tools
• You want static files with zero hosting requirements
• You prefer YAML over XML or GUI
• Budget: Free

Choose DIY if:

• You have web development skills and specific design requirements
• You want total control over every pixel
• You're building a comprehensive studio website and the press kit is just one section
• Budget: Your time

The Bottom Line

presskit() was groundbreaking. It changed how indie developers present themselves to the media, and its influence is visible in every press kit tool that followed. But technology moves on, and a PHP 5 tool from 2013 is no longer viable in 2026.

The good news is that the indie game community has built excellent alternatives. Whether you go self-hosted with presskit.gg, hosted with Press Kitty, or roll your own, you can have a professional press kit live in under an hour — no FTP required.

The standard that Rami Ismail created lives on. The tool just needed an upgrade.

Want to see all press kit tools compared side by side? Read our Best Press Kit Tools for Indie Games: Complete Comparison. Ready to build your press kit right now? Follow our step-by-step guide.