The Best Jekyll Alternatives for Modern Static Sites (2025 Edition)
Thursday, October 16, 2025Best Jekyll Alternatives in 2025: Faster, Modern Static Site Generators
Jekyll was one of the first static site generators (SSGs) to gain mainstream adoption, powering countless blogs and GitHub Pages sites. In 2025, the ecosystem has evolved significantly. Developers now have faster, more flexible, and more modern tools to choose from.
Whether you are building a blog, documentation hub, or a large content site, here is a comprehensive look at the best Jekyll alternatives today, including both the classics and the rising stars.
JavaScript and TypeScript Ecosystem
Astro (Active, Rapidly Growing)
- Why it stands out: Ships zero JavaScript by default, supports React, Vue, Svelte, and more.
- Best for: Blogs, content sites, and hybrid projects where performance and SEO matter.
- Examples: Skypack, Astro Docs.
Eleventy (11ty) (Active, Community Driven)
- Why it stands out: Minimal, flexible, template agnostic.
- Best for: Developers who want full control without a heavy framework.
- Examples: 11ty.dev.
Next.js (Static Export Mode) (Active, Enterprise Backed)
- Why it stands out: React framework that supports static export and hybrid rendering.
- Best for: Teams already invested in React.
- Examples: Vercel Blog.
Gatsby (Slowing Adoption)
- Why it stands out: Once the React SSG leader, with a large plugin ecosystem.
- Best for: Marketing sites and blogs with complex data sourcing.
- Examples: ReactJS.org (archived version).
Nuxt (Static Mode) (Active, Vue Ecosystem)
- Why it stands out: Vue’s equivalent of Next.js, with static export support.
- Best for: Vue developers who want a polished framework.
SvelteKit (Static Export) (Active, Cutting Edge)
- Why it stands out: Lightweight, modern, and developer friendly.
- Best for: Early adopters and performance focused teams.
VuePress and VitePress (Active, Docs Focused)
- Why they stand out: Markdown first, Vue powered documentation tools.
- Best for: Documentation sites and technical blogs.
Docusaurus (Active, Backed by Meta)
- Why it stands out: React based, optimized for documentation.
- Best for: Open source projects and product docs.
- Examples: React Native Docs.
Hexo (Mature, Slowing)
- Why it stands out: Node.js blogging engine, simple setup.
- Best for: Personal blogs.
Metalsmith (Niche, Plugin Driven)
- Why it stands out: Extremely flexible, plugin based pipeline.
- Best for: Developers who want to build custom workflows.
Non JavaScript Ecosystem
Hugo (Go) (Active, Very Popular)
- Why it stands out: Blazing fast builds, even for thousands of pages.
- Best for: Large content sites and multilingual blogs.
- Examples: Let’s Encrypt.
Zola (Rust) (Active, Lightweight)
- Why it stands out: Single binary, no dependencies, very fast.
- Best for: Developers who want Hugo like speed with Rust simplicity.
MkDocs (Python) (Active, Docs Focused)
- Why it stands out: Markdown driven, simple configuration.
- Best for: Technical documentation.
- Examples: Kubernetes Docs.
Pelican (Python) (Mature, Smaller Community)
- Why it stands out: Python based blogging engine with multilingual support.
- Best for: Bloggers in the Python ecosystem.
Comparison Table
| Generator | Language | Best For | Speed | Maintenance Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Astro | JS/TS | Blogs, hybrid sites | Fast | Active, growing |
| Eleventy | JS | Flexible templating | Moderate | Active |
| Next.js | JS/TS | React apps and static | Moderate | Active |
| Gatsby | JS/TS | Marketing, data driven | Slower | Slowing adoption |
| Nuxt | JS/TS | Vue apps and static | Moderate | Active |
| SvelteKit | JS/TS | Performance focused | Fast | Active |
| VuePress | JS | Docs, blogs | Moderate | Active |
| Docusaurus | JS/TS | Documentation | Moderate | Active |
| Hexo | JS | Simple blogs | Moderate | Mature, slowing |
| Metalsmith | JS | Custom pipelines | Depends | Niche |
| Hugo | Go | Large content sites | Very fast | Active |
| Zola | Rust | Lightweight blogs | Very fast | Active |
| MkDocs | Python | Documentation | Moderate | Active |
| Pelican | Python | Blogging | Moderate | Mature |
Choosing the Right Alternative
- For speed and scale: Hugo or Zola
- For flexibility: Eleventy or Metalsmith
- For modern workflows: Astro, SvelteKit, or Nuxt
- For documentation: Docusaurus, MkDocs, or VitePress
- For simplicity: Hexo or Pelican
Final Thoughts
Jekyll paved the way, but the static site world has moved on. Today’s alternatives give you faster builds, richer ecosystems, and better developer experience. Whether you are building Tech Foundry’s next big content hub or a personal blog, there is a tool here that fits your workflow.