Eleventy vs Jekyll
Which should you use? A side-by-side look at what each one does, who it suits, what it costs, how hard it is to set up, and where each falls short.
Open source · MIT
A simple static site generator that turns folders of templates into HTML pages.
Open source · MIT
A Ruby tool that turns Markdown and templates into a static website, with blog support.
The short answer
Choose Eleventy if you need…
- Developers who want a static site generator with a lighter setup than Jekyll
- People who already write Markdown or HTML templates and want them turned into a website
- JavaScript developers comfortable working with npm and Node.js projects
- Bloggers or documentation writers who want plain HTML output
Choose Jekyll if you need…
- Developers who want a blog or simple website built from plain text files
- People comfortable with Ruby tooling and the command line
- Writers who prefer Markdown and want static HTML output
- Projects that need hosting without a database or server-side code
Side-by-side
| Eleventy | Jekyll | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Dev tool | Dev tool |
| Price | Free and open source | Free and open source |
| Licence | MIT | MIT |
| GitHub stars | 20k | 51.7k |
| Setup difficulty | Intermediate | Intermediate |
| How you get it | Install with a package manager | Install with a package manager |
| Main language | JavaScript | Ruby |
| Last code update | 6 days ago | 23 days ago |
What each one is
Eleventy
Build Awesome (Eleventy) is a static site generator written in JavaScript. You give it a folder of templates in formats such as HTML, Markdown, Liquid or Nunjucks, and it produces plain HTML files that can be hosted anywhere. The README describes it as a simpler alternative to Jekyll, and says addons exist for formats like WebC, Sass, Vue, Svelte and TypeScript.
Jekyll
Jekyll is a static site generator written in Ruby. You write content in files such as Markdown, combine it with templates, and it builds a folder of plain HTML pages that can be hosted anywhere. The description calls it blog-aware, and its topics include blog engine and Liquid templating. The README was not included in full, so details beyond the metadata are limited.
Best for
Eleventy
- Developers who want a static site generator with a lighter setup than Jekyll
- People who already write Markdown or HTML templates and want them turned into a website
- JavaScript developers comfortable working with npm and Node.js projects
- Bloggers or documentation writers who want plain HTML output
Jekyll
- Developers who want a blog or simple website built from plain text files
- People comfortable with Ruby tooling and the command line
- Writers who prefer Markdown and want static HTML output
- Projects that need hosting without a database or server-side code
Strengths
Eleventy
- Accepts several template languages, including HTML, Markdown, Liquid and Nunjucks
- Written in JavaScript and installable from npm
- Has an active test setup with CI and documentation linked from the README
Jekyll
- Widely used open-source project with a large community (about 51,700 stars)
- Released under the permissive MIT license
- Produces plain static files that are simple to host and hard to break
Not ideal for
Eleventy
- Non-developers who want a point-and-click website builder, since the project is driven by the command line and templates
- People who need a dynamic server-side application with a database, because this tool produces static HTML files
Jekyll
- Non-technical users who need a point-and-click site builder, since setup requires Ruby and the command line
- Sites that need dynamic features like user accounts or live database queries, since output is static files
- Teams that want a hosted service rather than running a build tool themselves
Trade-offs
Eleventy
- The README is truncated here, so setup details beyond npm install are not covered in this entry
- Many addons are needed for formats beyond the core languages, which adds setup work
- Requires comfort with the command line and Node.js tooling
Jekyll
- Requires a Ruby environment, which adds setup work for non-developers
- README content was truncated, so detailed feature coverage could not be verified here
Getting started
Eleventy
Install as a dev dependency
npm install @awesome.me/buildawesome --save-devJekyll
Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/jekyll/jekyllFrequently asked questions
What is the difference between Eleventy and Jekyll?
Eleventy: A simple static site generator that turns folders of templates into HTML pages. Jekyll: A Ruby tool that turns Markdown and templates into a static website, with blog support. Eleventy suits developers who want a static site generator with a lighter setup than jekyll, while Jekyll suits developers who want a blog or simple website built from plain text files.
Are Eleventy and Jekyll free?
Eleventy: Free and open source. Jekyll: Free and open source.
Is Eleventy or Jekyll more popular?
Jekyll has more GitHub stars (51.7k) than Eleventy (20k). Popularity isn't the same as fit — check which one matches your use case above.
What are other alternatives to Eleventy and Jekyll?
Other options people compare them with include VuePress, docsify, Hexo, Gatsby, Mitosis.
Keep comparing
Built from our catalogue entries for both products: open-source details come from each project's README (AI-assisted, refreshed weekly) and GitHub data; AI-tool details are editorial. Spotted something wrong? Let us know from either product's page.