Static site generators (SSGs) are the backbone of modern documentation, blogs, and marketing sites. Astro, Hugo, 11ty, and Jekyll take different approaches. Here's which one matches your content workflow and stack.
Quick Comparison
| Astro | Hugo | 11ty (Eleventy) | Jekyll | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Language | JS/TS (Go core) | Go | JavaScript | Ruby |
| Build speed | Fast (~5s for 1000 pages) | Fastest (<1s for 1000 pages) | Very fast (~3s for 1000 pages) | Slow (~60s for 1000 pages) |
| Templating | Astro (.astro), JSX, Vue, Svelte | Go templates | Nunjucks, Liquid, Handlebars, etc. | Liquid |
| CMS integration | Content Collections (built-in) | Front Matter only | Data cascade (flexible) | Front Matter + Collections |
| JavaScript in output | Optional (Islands) | Minimal | Whatever you add | Minimal |
| Markdown | MDX support | Goldmark (excellent) | markdown-it (configurable) | Kramdown |
| Plugins | Growing (Astro integrations) | Built-in (most features included) | 400+ plugins | 300+ plugins |
| GitHub Pages | Yes (GitHub Action) | Yes (native) | Yes (GitHub Action) | Native |
Astro — The Modern Standard
Astro's killer feature is the Islands Architecture: ship zero JavaScript by default, hydrate only the interactive components that need it. You can use React, Vue, Svelte, or Solid components in the same project. Content Collections provide type-safe Markdown with Zod schema validation.
Strengths: Zero JS by default (perfect for content sites). Use any UI framework for interactive islands. Content Collections are best-in-class for Markdown sites. View Transitions API for SPA-like navigation. Excellent for blogs, docs, and marketing sites.
Weaknesses: Not for highly interactive SPAs (use Next.js instead). Younger ecosystem than Hugo or Jekyll. Some integrations are community-maintained. Build is fast but not Hugo-fast.
Best for: Content-heavy sites (blogs, docs, marketing), developers who want to mix frameworks, projects where Core Web Vitals are critical.
Hugo — The Speed King
Hugo is built in Go and compiles thousands of pages in under a second. It's a single binary with no dependencies. Hugo's template system is powerful but has a learning curve. For large documentation sites or blogs with many pages, Hugo's speed is transformative.
Strengths: Blazing fast builds (sub-second for 1000+ pages). Single binary (no npm install). Built-in image processing and shortcodes. Excellent multilingual support. Huge theme library. Great for very large sites.
Weaknesses: Go template syntax is idiosyncratic. No built-in CMS/content layer beyond front matter. Limited JavaScript framework integration. Theme customization can be complex. Smaller plugin ecosystem than JS-based SSGs.
Best for: Large documentation sites, blogs with 500+ posts, projects where build speed matters, developers comfortable with Go templates.
11ty (Eleventy) — The Flexible Power Tool
11ty is JavaScript-based but framework-agnostic. It supports 11 template languages and gives you complete control over your output. The data cascade (global → directory → file → front matter) is uniquely powerful. It compiles to a directory of static HTML with zero client-side JS.
Strengths: Most flexible template system (11 languages). Data cascade is powerful for complex sites. Zero boilerplate output. Excellent for sites that mix content types. Progressive enhancement by default. WebC components for reusable templates.
Weaknesses: Flexibility means more decisions to make. Fewer pre-built themes than Hugo or Jekyll. Smaller community. Documentation assumes you know what you want to build.
Best for: Developers who want maximum control, sites with complex data relationships, projects that mix multiple content sources, developers who enjoy customizing their build.
Jekyll — The GitHub Pages Native
Jekyll is the original static site generator and runs natively on GitHub Pages — push Markdown, get a blog. It's Ruby-based, which can be a pro (if you use Ruby) or a con (if you don't). The theme and plugin ecosystem is mature but showing its age.
Strengths: Native GitHub Pages support (no build step needed). Mature ecosystem with 15+ years of themes and plugins. Simple mental model (collections, pages, posts). Good for simple blogs and documentation.
Weaknesses: Slowest build times (painful at 500+ pages). Ruby dependency (can be painful outside macOS). Limited compared to modern SSGs. Template syntax (Liquid) is less powerful than JSX or Go templates. Feels dated compared to Astro or Hugo.
Best for: Simple GitHub Pages blogs, developers who want zero-config with GitHub, Ruby developers, projects that don't need modern JS features.
Decision Matrix
| Scenario | Best SSG |
|---|---|
| Modern blog or marketing site | Astro |
| Large documentation (1000+ pages) | Hugo |
| Complex data-driven static site | 11ty |
| Simple GitHub Pages blog | Jekyll |
| Mixed framework components | Astro |
| Fastest build, no npm | Hugo |
Bottom line: Astro is the best default for new projects in 2026 — modern, fast, and framework-flexible. Hugo for speed and large sites. 11ty for maximum control. Jekyll for simple GitHub Pages blogs. This site (AI Study Room) is built with a custom Python generator, but if we were starting today, Astro would be the pick. See our hosting comparison for where to deploy your SSG.