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General-purpose static site generators

Looking for top static site generators SSGs that focus on more than just documentation? These tools excel for blogs, portfolios, business websites, and modern web applications. This list highlights leading general-purpose SSGs, excluding tools designed specifically for documentation.

1. Hugo​

  • Overview: Hugo, built with Go, ranks among the fastest static site generators. Known for its speed, flexibility, and extensive theme ecosystem, it serves developers who value efficiency and scalability.
  • Key Features:
    ✅ Lightning-fast builds: milliseconds to seconds
    ✅ Markdown support with advanced templating
    ✅ Built-in internationalization i18n for multilingual sites
    ✅ Rich theme library with strong community support
    ✅ No database required—just Markdown files
  • Best for: Blogs, portfolios, business sites, multilingual websites
  • Website: Hugo

2. Jekyll​

  • Overview: Jekyll, powered by Ruby, offers a straightforward yet powerful approach to static site generation. It integrates seamlessly with GitHub Pages, making it a strong choice for developers and bloggers who want a smooth deployment process.
  • Key Features:
    ✅ Native GitHub Pages support: free hosting
    ✅ Markdown and Liquid templating
    ✅ Built-in blogging features
    ✅ Extensive plugin ecosystem
    ✅ User-friendly configuration
  • Best for: Personal blogs, portfolios, GitHub Pages-hosted websites
  • Website: Jekyll

3. Gatsby​

  • Overview: Gatsby, a React-based static site generator, combines the benefits of static sites with powerful GraphQL-powered data integrations. It works well for progressive web apps PWAs and content-heavy websites.
  • Key Features:
    ✅ React-based development with component reusability
    ✅ GraphQL integration for dynamic data sourcing
    ✅ Performance optimizations: lazy loading, image optimization
    ✅ Extensive plugin ecosystem
    ✅ Supports Markdown, CMSs, APIs, and databases
  • Best for: Modern blogs, e-commerce, PWAs, content-rich sites
  • Website: Gatsby

4. Next.js​

  • Overview: Next.js, a powerful React framework, supports both static site generation SSG and server-side rendering SSR. Its flexibility makes it ideal for dynamic and hybrid applications.
  • Key Features:
    ✅ Hybrid rendering: static and server-side
    ✅ Built-in API routes for server-side logic
    ✅ Performance-focused: image optimization, lazy loading
    ✅ Optimized for search engines with automatic page preloading
    ✅ Robust plugin and middleware support
  • Best for: Marketing websites, blogs, business sites, e-commerce, enterprise applications
  • Website: Next.js

5. Nuxt.js​

  • Overview: Nuxt.js, the Vue.js counterpart to Next.js, offers static site generation, server-side rendering, and a Vue-powered framework with built-in optimizations.
  • Key Features:
    ✅ Vue.js-based static site generation
    ✅ Automatic code-splitting and performance optimizations
    ✅ Supports Vue Router, Vuex, and Vue Meta
    ✅ Optimized for search engines with automated metadata handling
    ✅ User-friendly plugins for extended capability
  • Best for: Vue-powered blogs, portfolios, business sites, e-commerce
  • Website: Nuxt.js

Key terms defined​

  • SSG Static Site Generator: A tool that generates static HTML files from templates and content, often used for blogs, portfolios, and business websites.
  • SSR Server-Side Rendering: A technique where web pages render on the server before the client receives them, improving performance and SEO Search Engine Optimization.
  • SEO Search Engine Optimization: The practice of optimizing websites to rank higher in search engine results.