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Gatsby alternatives: 5 apps ranked by verified data

Facts checked Oct 25, 2026AppBreakup editorialHow we rank

Common reasons people leave Gatsby: development has slowed sharply since the Netlify acquisition, and slow builds on large sites. We ranked 5 alternatives by how directly each one replaces Gatsby, then by reviews, real visits and how recently each app's facts were checked against its own website. Astro currently ranks first.

Quick comparison

#AppPricingOpen sourcePlatformsVerified factsScore
1Astro logoAstroOpen sourceYesWindows, macOS, Linux4 of 466.5
2Eleventy logoEleventyOpen sourceYesWindows, macOS, Linux4 of 462.6
3Hugo logoHugoOpen sourceYesWindows, macOS, Linux4 of 459.6
4Payload logoPayloadOpen sourceYesSelf-hosted, Web4 of 457.2
5Sanity logoSanityFree plan + paidNoWeb3 of 355.3
  1. Astro logo

    1. AstroTop pick

    Best for: Developers building fast content sites who want to use any UI framework

    Open sourceSelf-hostableWindows, macOS, Linux

    66.5

    score / 100

    Why switch from Gatsby

    The usual modern replacement, with islands and React support.

    Pros

    • Ships minimal JavaScript thanks to islands
    • Use React, Vue, Svelte and others together
    • Typed content collections and strong docs

    Cons

    • Less suited to very app-like, interactive products
    • Frequent major versions bring upgrade work
    • No editing interface without adding a CMS
    Visit Astro Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.3100
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
    Freshness ×0.1585
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is Astro a good Gatsby alternative?

    Verified facts

    4 of 4 verified
    Islands architecture
    Yes
    Checked Oct 25, 2026astro.build(opens source in a new tab)
    UI frameworks
    React, Vue, Preact, Svelte, Solid
    Checked Oct 25, 2026astro.build(opens source in a new tab)
    Positioning
    Framework for content-driven websites
    Checked Oct 25, 2026astro.build(opens source in a new tab)
    License
    MIT
    Checked Oct 25, 2026astro.build(opens source in a new tab)
  2. Eleventy logo

    2. Eleventy

    Best for: Front-end developers who want lean HTML output and minimal framework overhead

    Open sourceSelf-hostableWindows, macOS, Linux

    62.6

    score / 100

    Why switch from Gatsby

    Lean generator with simpler builds and no React.

    Pros

    • Zero client-side JavaScript by default
    • Mix of template languages and a flexible data cascade
    • Stable, MIT-licensed and well documented

    Cons

    • Few batteries included; you assemble your own setup
    • No editing interface for non-developers
    • Branding is in flux around Build Awesome
    Visit Eleventy Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.387
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
    Freshness ×0.1585
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is Eleventy a good Gatsby alternative?

    Verified facts

    4 of 4 verified
    License
    MIT
    Checked Oct 25, 2026github.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Positioning
    A simpler static site generator
    Checked Oct 25, 202611ty.dev(opens source in a new tab)
    Requirements
    Node.js 18 or newer
    Checked Oct 25, 202611ty.dev(opens source in a new tab)
    Template languages
    Several, mixable in one project
    Checked Oct 25, 202611ty.dev(opens source in a new tab)
  3. Hugo logo

    3. Hugo

    Best for: Developers who want very fast builds for blogs, docs and content sites

    Open sourceSelf-hostableWindows, macOS, Linux

    59.6

    score / 100

    Why switch from Gatsby

    Much faster builds for large content sites.

    Pros

    • Extremely fast builds even for large sites
    • Single binary with no runtime dependencies
    • Multilingual, taxonomies and image processing built in

    Cons

    • Go templates have a steep, awkward learning curve
    • No editing interface for non-developers
    • Frequent releases can change behaviour
    Visit Hugo Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.377
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
    Freshness ×0.1585
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is Hugo a good Gatsby alternative?

    Verified facts

    4 of 4 verified
    License
    Apache 2.0
    Checked Oct 25, 2026gohugo.io(opens source in a new tab)
    Language
    Go
    Checked Oct 25, 2026gohugo.io(opens source in a new tab)
    Positioning
    Static site framework focused on speed
    Checked Oct 25, 2026gohugo.io(opens source in a new tab)
    Multilingual
    Single-host and multihost
    Checked Oct 25, 2026gohugo.io(opens source in a new tab)
  4. Payload logo

    4. Payload

    Best for: TypeScript and Next.js developers who want the CMS inside their own codebase

    Open sourceSelf-hostableSelf-hosted, Web

    57.2

    score / 100

    Why switch from Gatsby

    Next.js-native CMS if you're moving to Next.js.

    Pros

    • MIT-licensed and fully self-hostable
    • Lives inside your Next.js app with a type-safe local API
    • Auth, uploads, drafts and access control built in

    Cons

    • Content model changes require code and deploys
    • You manage the database and hosting yourself
    • SSO and some workflow features are enterprise-only
    Visit Payload Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.369
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
    Freshness ×0.1585
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is Payload a good Gatsby alternative?

    Verified facts

    4 of 4 verified
    License
    MIT
    Checked Oct 25, 2026github.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Framework
    Next.js
    Checked Oct 25, 2026payloadcms.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Codebase
    Open-source TypeScript
    Checked Oct 25, 2026payloadcms.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Enterprise features
    SSO, publishing workflows, visual editor
    Checked Oct 25, 2026payloadcms.com(opens source in a new tab)
  5. Sanity logo

    5. Sanity

    Best for: Developer teams who want an editing interface tailored to their content

    Free plan + paidWeb

    55.3

    score / 100

    Why switch from Gatsby

    Hosted headless CMS that works with any framework you migrate to.

    Pros

    • Editing studio is fully customisable in code
    • Real-time collaboration and visual editing
    • Generous free plan with many user seats

    Cons

    • Needs developers to set up and evolve the studio
    • GROQ is a proprietary query language to learn
    • Add-ons for extra quota and support cost extra
    Visit Sanity Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.363
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
    Freshness ×0.1585
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is Sanity a good Gatsby alternative?

    Verified facts

    3 of 3 verified
    Free plan
    $0 forever, up to 20 seats
    Checked Oct 25, 2026sanity.io(opens source in a new tab)
    Growth plan
    $15 per seat/month
    Checked Oct 25, 2026sanity.io(opens source in a new tab)
    Dedicated support add-on
    $799 per month
    Checked Oct 25, 2026sanity.io(opens source in a new tab)

The best Gatsby alternative for…

The highest-ranked app in this list for each need.

Astro logo

Best Gatsby alternative for most people

Astro

The usual modern replacement, with islands and React support.

Eleventy logo

Best Gatsby alternative for a free option

Eleventy

Lean generator with simpler builds and no React.

Sanity logo

Best Gatsby alternative for a free plan you can upgrade

Sanity

Hosted headless CMS that works with any framework you migrate to.

Hugo logo

Best Gatsby alternative for open source

Hugo

Much faster builds for large content sites.

Payload logo

Best Gatsby alternative for self-hosting

Payload

Next.js-native CMS if you're moving to Next.js.

Astro logo

Best Gatsby alternative for Mac

Astro

The usual modern replacement, with islands and React support.

Astro logo

Best Gatsby alternative for Windows

Astro

The usual modern replacement, with islands and React support.

Astro logo

Best Gatsby alternative for Linux

Astro

The usual modern replacement, with islands and React support.

Payload logo

Best Gatsby alternative for working in the browser

Payload

Next.js-native CMS if you're moving to Next.js.

Gatsby alternatives: common questions

What is the best alternative to Gatsby?

Astro ranks first right now. The usual modern replacement, with islands and React support. Eleventy and Hugo follow it in our ranking.

Is there a free alternative to Gatsby?

Yes. Astro (open source), Eleventy (open source), Hugo (open source) and Payload (open source) have a free option. Check each app's verified facts for current plan limits.

Is there an open-source alternative to Gatsby?

Yes: Astro, Eleventy, Hugo and Payload. Astro, Eleventy and Hugo can also be self-hosted.

Which Gatsby alternatives work on Linux?

Astro, Eleventy and Hugo run on Linux.

Why do people switch from Gatsby?

The complaints we hear most: development has slowed sharply since the Netlify acquisition; slow builds on large sites; heavy plugin dependency trees are hard to upgrade.

How is this list ranked?

Every app is scored with the same published formula: how directly it replaces Gatsby, reviews (weighted by verification), visits from AppBreakup, how recently its facts were checked against its own website, and reader votes.