It is 2020 and we have plenty of static site generators all over the web which is made in several languages.
Without Static site generators, web pages are made in a very dynamic way.
Static Site generators are very fast compared to Dynamic websites Since there are no database queries, no Scripts and no templates to render.
It’s good to once in a while to catch up on who is the top kid on the block in the Opensource Static Site Generators.
If you are looking for the perfect SSG, then we have discussed some of the 21 best static site generators for you.
1. Gatsby
Gatsby adds the static pages to frontend stacks, utilizes the JavaScript from the client-side, portable APIs, and pre-built Markups.
It can be used very easily and is a perfect solution that produces a React.js, Webpack, JavaScript, and more.
Gatsby creates pages as revolutionary single-page applications. It ensures that the entire website is downloaded and the browsing is instant.
2. Jekyll
It is one of the most common SSGs which have a large customer base and a huge directory of plugins. It’s perfect for bloggers and is also used by e-commerce websites.
Jekyll also lets you concentrate on the content without any worry about the updates, databases, etc. It is made up of the Ruby and incorporated into the GitHub Pages. There is very little risk of getting hacked.
3. Hugo
It is well recognized for its speed-building quality and it also has the feature of driving the data content. It makes it easy to build HTML based on CSV/JSON feeds. One can also make their own shortcodes.
It can also help in building models to quickly set up SEO, feedback, analytics, and other features. One drawback of Hugo is that there is a loss of a broad plugin ecosystem. Nevertheless, considering the wide range of built-in apps, this is not going to be a problem for most users.
4. Hexo
Hexo is operated by Node.js and is targeted at blogging. It is easily scalable and you can use other templating engines if you want to.
It provides a number of pre-made themes for you to check out, and one of the tool’s most popular features is its single-command deployment support.
5. Nuxt
Nuxt.js is essentially a platform for developing server-based Vue applications. It has dynamic pages which are made by the server before being forwarded to the user in their completed form for viewing.
Because Nuxt is a Vue system, it will be important to be acquainted with Vue. Only the developers who have worked with Vue before might feel right at home.
6. Pelican
Pelican supports material written in various languages, including the popular Markdown. It utilizes the Jinja engine, which is both simple to use and powerful.
Moreover, it’s mainly designed for blogging and is also appropriate for creating a wide variety of different types of many other sites. It’s quick and can handle sites with hundreds of pages easily without making you wait for them to be created.
7. MkDocs
The MkDocs GitHub page includes a variety of themes that are designed specifically for documents, or you can create HTML for your own design.
It is one of the simplest static site generators to get going. Provide a quick-to-use way of generating HTML pages for project documents. Its built-in Python, so you’re going to need Python installed in your system for using it.
8. Metalsmith
Metalsmith offers an alternative to many other static site generation methods since it doesn’t attempt to do very much. It provides a platform for doing this but leaves all the individual manipulations to plugins.
When operating via Metalsmith, all source files are translated to JavaScript objects, which ensures that module manipulation is simply a modification of the property of these JavaScript objects.
9. Spike
It is developed by the same group as Roots, which saw tremendous success while being actively managed. It offers a popular environment for JavaScript developers, using Webpack, Reshape, and Babel.
Spike is built to provide a very simple foundation and allow plugins to manage your conversions.
10. Middleman
It was published at about the same time as Jekyll and is renowned for programmers who had worked with Ruby.
The main template engine is ERB and also provides built-in support for Sass, Haml, SCSS, and can be further expanded to help more.
Middleman broadens the goals and seeks to provide versatility in the construction of any type of site.
11. Next.js
It is a very renowned static site generator that is based on React, JavaScript, etc. It is provided with ZEIT which is a company that focuses on creating cloud computing in the easiest way.
Next.js provides a web pack-based developed environment that supports Hot Module, simple client-side routing, customized Babel configuration. It is supported by an organization and has a strong support system in the internet world.
12. GitBook
This one is different than the standard static site generators as it can also do documentation. It helps the team in writing, collaboration, and publishing content for the documentation.
Gitbook is also very useful for making knowledge-based manuals.
13. Brunch
It is an ultra-fast HTML5 assembler and also helps in building the pipeline. It helps in a compilation of templates, scripts, style sheets, and wraps them in Common.js.
Brunch is ideal for the users who plan on building something which is closer to an application. It can be compared to Grunt that to Jekyll. It has programming languages, libraries, or framework which makes it flexible.
14.Octopress
It helps the users to easily create their code and embed them into the posts from other file systems.
Octopress also has a handy library of integrations, which is necessary for blogging hackers.
15. VuePress: The new player
It is a minimalistic static site generator that is powered by Vue.js. It creates single-page software with static HTML taken from a Markdown file.
Vuepress also comes with an integrated Google Analytics and multi-language support.
16. Harp
It is a static site server that serves EJS, Less, Stylus, Markdown, and Coffeescript as CSS, HTML, and JavaScript that too without any configuration.
Harp allows you to use the partials elements which can preserve the consistency of the layout.
17. Expose
It is very different from other static site generators mentioned until now.
Since expose is a bash script that turns the images and videos into beautiful photoessays.
18. Slate
It helps in creating a very intelligent, responsive API documentation. With the help of Slate, the description of API is on the left side of the documentation.
Slate also puts entire documentation on a single page. The document created on Slate is hosted in a public GitHub repository.
19. Docusaurus
It is very easy to maintain your open source documentation websites. It writes the docs and blog posts very simply with the help of Markdown and can publish on the set of static HTML files.
Docusaurus supports all the versions of your projects which help you in keeping the documents in synchronization with the projects.
20. Gridsome
This one makes it very easy for the developers to build the websites, applications & software. It can generate static PWAs. It helps the building of websites for any type of data source in a quick manner, also can help as a page API which gibes an entire control of the page creation.
Gridsome helps the building of websites for any type of data source in a quick manner.
21. Docsify
It generates the documentation website and does not generate the static HTML file, unlike others.
Docsify can load and translates the Markdown files which will then publish them as a website. It has multiple themes and a useful plugin API.
Conclusion
From the above list which is but a tip of the static site generator iceberg,
you can get a feel of how rich, diverse and powerful static site generators are.
moreover, if you ever work on one, please share it with us in the comment section, we would love to know about it and I am sure others users would like to contribute when they see it.
Do well to leave a comment about this article.
