THT's den

ML and computer nerd

I think I’ve finally found the webstack I’ve been chasing for years: Actix-web + SQLx + Tera + Tailwind CSS + HTMX, all in Rust.

I’ll admit it—I’m a pretty idealistic developer. I care (maybe too much) about simplicity, and not relying on 300 dependencies just to build a form. I like things that are fast, clean, and make sense. I want to build websites that feel almost static, but still have the dynamic parts where it matters.

This stack hits that sweet spot.

  • Actix-web is insanely fast and rock solid.
  • SQLx gives me async DB access and compile-time query checks—something I’ve always wanted but never had in other stacks.
  • Tera keeps templating clean and straightforward—no weird logic in the HTML.
  • Tailwind CSS helps me style things quickly without writing piles of CSS.
  • HTMX brings interactivity to the frontend without writing JavaScript. Just HTML attributes. It’s kind of magical.

And the glue that holds it all together: Rust.

I’m gonna say it—Rust has ruined other languages for me. Yeah, the compiler is strict, but for good reason. In 99% of cases, if your code compiles, it works. Coming from Python or JavaScript, that’s a game-changer. No runtime crashes because of a typo or a missing key. Just solid, safe, reliable code.

Most modern web frameworks feel bloated and overly complex. This stack feels like the opposite; lean, powerful, and focused. It gives me full control, server-side rendering, real speed, and just the right amount of interactivity without diving into frontend framework hell.

If you’re like me, tired of the bloat, allergic to unnecessary JavaScript, and still idealistic enough to care about clean architecture—give this stack a shot.

Rust makes it not just possible, but actually fun.

I ditched WordPress — it was starting to feel way too bloated. I still wanted something that supports federation, though, so I landed on WriteFreely. It’s a nice middle ground between WordPress and something super minimal like Hugo..