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Jekyll alternatives: 5 apps ranked by verified data

Facts checked Oct 25, 2026AppBreakup editorialHow we rank

Common reasons people leave Jekyll: slow builds on large sites, and ruby setup can be fiddly, especially on Windows. We ranked 5 alternatives by how directly each one replaces Jekyll, then by reviews, real visits and how recently each app's facts were checked against its own website. Hugo currently ranks first.

Quick comparison

#AppPricingOpen sourcePlatformsVerified factsScore
1Hugo logoHugoOpen sourceYesWindows, macOS, Linux4 of 466.5
2Eleventy logoEleventyOpen sourceYesWindows, macOS, Linux4 of 462.6
3Astro logoAstroOpen sourceYesWindows, macOS, Linux4 of 459.6
4Decap CMS logoDecap CMSOpen sourceYesWeb, Self-hosted4 of 457.2
5Pages CMS logoPages CMSOpen sourceYesWeb, Self-hosted4 of 455.3
  1. Hugo logo

    1. HugoTop pick

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

    Open sourceSelf-hostableWindows, macOS, Linux

    66.5

    score / 100

    Why switch from Jekyll

    Much faster builds and a single binary with no Ruby setup.

    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 ×0.3100
    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 Hugo a good Jekyll 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)
  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 Jekyll

    Similar simplicity in JavaScript, with Liquid templates supported.

    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 Jekyll 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. Astro logo

    3. Astro

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

    Open sourceSelf-hostableWindows, macOS, Linux

    59.6

    score / 100

    Why switch from Jekyll

    Modern framework for content sites with components and islands.

    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 ×0.377
    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 Astro a good Jekyll 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)
  4. Decap CMS logo

    4. Decap CMS

    Best for: Static site owners who want free form-based editing that commits to Git

    Open sourceSelf-hostableWeb, Self-hosted

    57.2

    score / 100

    Why switch from Jekyll

    Free editing interface for Jekyll content in Git.

    Pros

    • Free, MIT-licensed and needs no database or server
    • Works with almost any static site generator
    • Editorial workflow with drafts and reviews via pull requests

    Cons

    • Basic editor compared with hosted CMSs
    • Slower development than in its Netlify years
    • Authentication setup can be fiddly outside Netlify
    Visit Decap CMS 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 Decap CMS a good Jekyll alternative?

    Verified facts

    4 of 4 verified
    License
    MIT
    Checked Oct 25, 2026github.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Former name
    Netlify CMS
    Checked Oct 25, 2026decapcms.org(opens source in a new tab)
    Editorial workflow
    Draft, review and publish
    Checked Oct 25, 2026decapcms.org(opens source in a new tab)
    Self-hosting
    Open source, free and self-hosted
    Checked Oct 25, 2026decapcms.org(opens source in a new tab)
  5. Pages CMS logo

    5. Pages CMS

    Best for: Developers handing content editing on small GitHub-hosted static sites to others

    Open sourceSelf-hostableWeb, Self-hosted

    55.3

    score / 100

    Why switch from Jekyll

    Simple hosted editor for Jekyll sites on GitHub.

    Pros

    • Free hosted app with nothing to install in your site
    • Works with any static site generator
    • MIT-licensed and self-hostable

    Cons

    • GitHub only
    • Basic field types and permissions
    • Small project without commercial support
    Visit Pages CMS 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 Pages CMS a good Jekyll alternative?

    Verified facts

    4 of 4 verified
    Open source
    Yes, for GitHub-hosted static sites
    Checked Oct 25, 2026pagescms.org(opens source in a new tab)
    Storage
    Content and media in your GitHub repo
    Checked Oct 25, 2026pagescms.org(opens source in a new tab)
    Backend
    None: no database or API
    Checked Oct 25, 2026pagescms.org(opens source in a new tab)
    Configuration
    A .pages.yml file in the repo
    Checked Oct 25, 2026pagescms.org(opens source in a new tab)

The best Jekyll alternative for…

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

Hugo logo

Best Jekyll alternative for most people

Hugo

Much faster builds and a single binary with no Ruby setup.

Eleventy logo

Best Jekyll alternative for a free option

Eleventy

Similar simplicity in JavaScript, with Liquid templates supported.

Astro logo

Best Jekyll alternative for open source

Astro

Modern framework for content sites with components and islands.

Decap CMS logo

Best Jekyll alternative for self-hosting

Decap CMS

Free editing interface for Jekyll content in Git.

Hugo logo

Best Jekyll alternative for Mac

Hugo

Much faster builds and a single binary with no Ruby setup.

Hugo logo

Best Jekyll alternative for Windows

Hugo

Much faster builds and a single binary with no Ruby setup.

Hugo logo

Best Jekyll alternative for Linux

Hugo

Much faster builds and a single binary with no Ruby setup.

Pages CMS logo

Best Jekyll alternative for working in the browser

Pages CMS

Simple hosted editor for Jekyll sites on GitHub.

Jekyll alternatives: common questions

What is the best alternative to Jekyll?

Hugo ranks first right now. Much faster builds and a single binary with no Ruby setup. Eleventy and Astro follow it in our ranking.

Is there a free alternative to Jekyll?

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

Is there an open-source alternative to Jekyll?

Yes: Hugo, Eleventy, Astro and Decap CMS, plus 1 more in the list above. Hugo, Eleventy and Astro can also be self-hosted.

Which Jekyll alternatives work on Linux?

Hugo, Eleventy and Astro run on Linux.

Why do people switch from Jekyll?

The complaints we hear most: slow builds on large sites; ruby setup can be fiddly, especially on Windows; slow-moving project with many dated plugins.

How is this list ranked?

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