Static Site Generators Compared: Astro vs Hugo vs Eleventy vs Jekyll vs Gatsby vs Next.js Export, and Which to Use in 2026

Updated September 2026 · Written and maintained by the Progression Agency strategy team

A static site generator builds every page of a website into plain HTML files ahead of time, so the site can be served from a CDN with no server, no database and almost no attack surface. This guide explains how static site generators work, compares Astro, Hugo, Eleventy, Jekyll, Gatsby, Next.js static export, Docusaurus and VitePress, covers content sources and headless CMSs, hosting, limitations, and which generator fits a business site, a blog, documentation or a store front end.

How static site generators work

At build time the generator reads content (Markdown files, a headless CMS API, data files) and templates, and writes finished HTML, CSS and JavaScript to a folder. A CDN serves that folder. Dynamic behavior comes from client-side JavaScript islands, serverless functions or third-party services (forms, search, comments). Rebuilds happen on each content change, triggered by Git or a CMS webhook. See SSR vs CSR vs SSG for how static generation compares with server rendering.

Static site generators compared

Astro: the default for business sites

Astro ships zero client JavaScript unless a component opts in, supports components from the major frameworks, has content collections with schema validation, image optimization, view transitions and optional server rendering per route. It replaced Gatsby and Jekyll as the default recommendation for marketing sites and blogs. See Astro vs Next.js.

Hugo and Eleventy: speed and simplicity

Hugo is a single binary that builds enormous sites in seconds and needs no JavaScript toolchain, which suits documentation and content sites with thousands of pages. Eleventy is a small JavaScript generator that stays out of the way and accepts almost any template language. Neither has a component model for interactive islands; add small scripts or web components where needed.

Next.js, Gatsby, Jekyll

Next.js static export produces static HTML from a React codebase and keeps the door open to server rendering later; it is the right static choice for React-only teams. Gatsby pioneered React static sites but its ecosystem has slowed since 2023 and new projects should choose Astro or Next.js. Jekyll remains the engine behind GitHub Pages and is fine for a simple blog, but its Ruby toolchain and build times date it. See Next.js vs React.

Content sources: Markdown vs headless CMS

Developers are happy editing Markdown in Git; marketers are not. For sites that non-developers update, pair the generator with a headless CMS (Sanity, Storyblok, Contentful, headless WordPress) or a Git-based CMS (Decap, Tina, Keystatic) that writes Markdown for them, and trigger rebuilds on publish. See best headless CMS platforms and headless WordPress.

Hosting static sites

Static output runs on Cloudflare Pages (free bandwidth), Netlify, Vercel, GitHub Pages, S3 with CloudFront, Firebase Hosting or Azure Static Web Apps. Builds run in the host’s CI on each push. See Vercel vs Netlify vs Cloudflare Pages and website hosting cost.

Limitations of static sites

• Personalized or logged-in pages need client-side rendering, islands or a server route.
• Content freshness depends on rebuilds; very frequent changes want incremental builds or on-demand rendering.
• Search, forms and comments need services or functions.
• Very large sites need fast generators (Hugo, Astro) or incremental builds to keep build times short.
• Editors need a CMS layer unless they are comfortable with Git.

Which static site generator should you choose?

How Progression Agency uses static site generators

Astro with Sanity, Storyblok or headless WordPress for content sites, hosted on Cloudflare Pages or Netlify; Next.js when the site is also an application. Migrations from WordPress, Gatsby or Jekyll keep URLs and rankings. See custom website development and website migration services.

Hugo, Jekyll, Gatsby, Astro and Next.js as static site generators

The Hugo static site generator is the fastest builder in the group, written in Go, and the usual pick for documentation sites with thousands of pages. The Jekyll static site generator is the oldest, powers GitHub Pages and suits simple blogs. The Gatsby static site generator popularized React-based static sites and GraphQL data layers, but its ecosystem has slowed. The Astro static site generator is the current default for content sites because it ships zero JavaScript by default and lets you use React, Vue or Svelte components only where needed. A Next JS static site generator setup (static export) fits teams already on Next.js who want the same framework for static marketing pages and dynamic product pages; see Astro vs Next.js.

Jamstack: platform, CMS and development services

What is Jamstack? It is the architecture that static site generators serve: pre-rendered pages on a CDN, JavaScript for interactivity and APIs for data. A Jamstack platform such as Netlify, Vercel or Cloudflare Pages builds the site on every commit and hosts the output. A Jamstack CMS is any headless CMS whose content feeds the build; see the best headless CMS platforms. Progression Agency provides Jamstack development services as part of custom website development: choosing the generator, wiring the CMS, and setting up previews and deploys. When you evaluate a Jamstack development company, ask how editors will preview a page before it is published, because that is where most static setups fall down.

Frequently asked questions