Migrating from Stacks

Learn more about switching from Stacks to Elements

Elements is an excellent alternative to Stacks from YourHead Software because it simplifies the web design process while giving you powerful, modern tools to create beautiful, responsive websites. Unlike Stacks, which relies on a collection of costly third-party addons to extend functionality, Elements is built from the ground up with a streamlined, all-in-one approach.

It’s perfect for those who want a faster, more cohesive design experience, especially with the added benefit of Tailwind CSS for precise, professional styling.

Why Choose Elements over Stacks?

Elements is a modern, all-in-one website builder built exclusively for macOS, no plugins, no patchwork. Unlike Classic + Stacks + Foundation + Additional stacks, which can quickly become expensive and fragmented, Elements gives you everything you need in one beautifully integrated app. It’s faster, cleaner, and easier to use, while still giving you full control over your design and code. Plus, Elements gets weekly updates, built in the open with direct feedback from users like you.

In this video, we edit a very similar website using both Stacks with the Foundation Framework and RapidWeaver Elements. We walk through the editing experience in each. It’s a side-by-side comparison that really shows just how much cleaner, faster, and more enjoyable building with Elements is.

If you’ve been using Stacks and Foundation for a while, you’ll probably recognise the pain points. In Elements, everything’s more streamlined. Components are smart and reusable, editing is instant, and you can focus on design without constantly fighting the tool.

Testimonials from Stacks users switching to Elements

I used RapidWeaver Classic for years, invested a lot (!) of money in frameworks, cms solutions and 3rd party stacks which all had a different way to name or sort their settings. That already drove me nuts.

There’ll sure be some 3rd party additions to Elements, but even in it’s current state it can do more than I was able to do with RW classic + Foundry + easyCMS + lots of 3rd party stacks or even Blocs. Yes, there’ll be a learning curve, but it’s worth it.

I could’ve stayed with Classic, but being forced into the terrible UI/UX from Stacks to create a website… no way. And even more so if you switch back from Elements (or blocs, where I now come from) to RW classic and stacks. I can’t imagine that for the life of it.

Give it a try. You won’t be disappointed, and the forums and especially the developers offer a ton of help if you get stuck. — Fynn via the Forums.

"I'm planning on writing up a report on building out this new site as it was a real revelation what you can accomplish with Elements. The quality of the sites is so much higher than when I was dealing with Stacks.

For one of the projects I was extracting a lot of content out of a Classic/Stacks project and it was amazing how painful it was after working with Elements for these last 9 months.

You should be really proud with what you are creating it is amazing." — Robin Muir

"I have been on the beta for some time and I must say that going back to RapidWeaver Classic and Stacks every now and then to do updates etc on sites developed there, seems as if one is going back in time somehow.

Elements is truly forming to be an incredible web design app and I am excited for what is still coming! Keep up the great work Team Realmac!" — Gunther Schenk

This is the web design tool I have been dreaming of for over 20 years! Finally it appears my dream is becoming a reality! I am currently building a large website for a client using Rapid Weaver classic and the stacks plug in and it is a daily struggle with these antiquated tools! Sometimes it is so incredibly frustrating when I am trying to accomplish what I thought was a simple task which becomes a three day ordeal just to try and get the stack to perform what I have envisioned. The constant back and forth between edit and preview is enough to make you want to pull your hair out! I am genuinely excited to leave Stacks behind and begin designing professional sites in Elements! — @RockNRollSoul69 via YouTube

How to move from Stack Frameworks like Foundry and Foundation to Elements

Foundry from Elixir Graphics, Foundation from Weavers Space, and other stack-based frameworks were great in their time, they gave a lot of people the tools to build websites without touching code. But as things stand today, most of those frameworks are outdated or haven;t seen any significant updates in years.

The big challenge is that these stacks rely on a fragile web of dependencies: Stacks itself, RapidWeaver Classic, and the individual stack libraries. If any one part breaks, you’re left without support, and without a clear path forward. That’s not ideal when you’re managing client sites or trying to future-proof your own projects.

That’s exactly why we built Elements. It gives you a better WYSIWYG visual building experience and with a modern engine underneath, powered by Tailwind CSS and Alpine.js. No more worrying about stacks, frameworks, or broken dependencies. Just clean, fast websites built with native Mac software that’s actively developed and supported.

If you’re still building with stacks-based frameworks, now’s a great time to start migrating. It’s easier than you might think, and the long-term benefits are massive 🚀

Making the switch can feel daunting, but the Power of Elements makes the transition both smoother and more rewarding than you might expect. Here are some tips to help you get started:

1. Review Your Current Structure

• Audit your content: Go through your existing site (text, images, structure) and make a list of your key pages and features.

• Note special functionality: Jot down things like forms, animations, custom menus, galleries, accordions, and any third-party stacks you’ve relied on.

2. Choose the Right Approach

• No-code or Low-code: Elements is incredibly friendly for non-coders, offering drag-and-drop Components and visual design controls. Most things you did with Foundry or Foundation stacks can be recreated with built-in Components or included Templates, no need for custom code (unless you want to!).

3. Rebuild, Don’t “Import”

• There’s no direct “import” from Stack based Sites to Elements (they use completely different architectures), but the upside is Elements outputs beautifully clean, modern HTML, and you avoid dragging over any old or bloated code.

• Manually recreate pages section by section: set up your navigation, then build out hero sections, content, forms, galleries, etc., using Elements’ Components.

• You’ll quickly notice the live, WYSIWYG design is a massive step up from the old Stacks preview system.

4. Leverage Powerful Components and Themes

• Elements comes with a variety of ready-made Components: forms, contact blocks, FAQ accordions, pricing tables, sliders, and more. Many additional expensive “stacks” are simply built-in now.

• Explore the Theme Controls and design system in Elements, you get consistent styling across your whole site, easily controlled from one spot. No more separate styling for every “stack.”

5. Migrate Content Easily

• Copy/paste your text content directly, and use Elements’ Resources Manager to add images and other assets.

• For SEO, be sure to set up your Page Titles and Meta Descriptions in Elements’ page setting, these tools are more accessible and modern compared to old stacks setups.

6. Add Interactivity

• You can use the built-in components to add animation and interactovivoty. If you used custom stacks for things like tabs, toggles, or reveal animations, you’ll love Elements’ support for Alpine.js and Tailwind, it’s built right in. You can go as deep as you want, but you don’t have to touch code.

7. Test Responsiveness

• Preview your site at different breakpoints right within Elements—no need for slow browser preview cycles. Modern output means your site just works beautifully everywhere.

8. Get Help & Inspiration

• The Elements Support Forum is thriving, with regular updates and responsive help.

• Loads of video tutorials and live streams are available on the Realmac YouTube Channel.

Pro Tip: Many users find that their rebuilt Elements site is faster, easier to update, and simply looks better than their old Stacks Framework based project thanks to modern, semantic markup and a more integrated design workflow 🚀

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If you have any specific component or layout you’re struggling to recreate, just ask on the forum. Share a screenshot or describe what you need and we'll guide you to the best solution in Elements. You’ll be amazed at how far the platform has come!

Welcome to the future of Mac web design, the Power of Elements is waiting for you!