Eleventy vs Gatsby
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted blogging platforms options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Eleventy
Simpler static site generator for fast websites
VS
Gatsby
React-based static site and blog generator
| Feature | Eleventy | Gatsby |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Read-the-docs project | Read-the-docs project |
| Health score | 95 · Excellent | 96 · Excellent |
| Category | Blogging Platforms | Blogging Platforms |
| License | MIT | MIT |
| Language | JavaScript | JavaScript |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 256 MB | 1,024 MB |
| Deployment | binary, source | binary, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 19,929 | ★ 55,942 |
| First released | 2018 | 2015 |
| Replaces | WordPress, Medium | WordPress, Medium |
What are Eleventy and Gatsby?
Eleventy
Eleventy is a flexible open-source static site generator written in JavaScript that works with many templating languages. It is popular for blogs and documentation due to its simplicity and speed.
- Supports many template languages
- Fast incremental builds
- Zero client-side JavaScript by default
- Flexible data cascade
Gatsby
Gatsby is an open-source React-based framework for building fast static websites and blogs. It pulls content from many sources via a GraphQL data layer and produces highly optimized output.
- React-powered sites
- GraphQL data layer
- Rich plugin ecosystem
- Performance-optimized output
Eleventy vs Gatsby: key differences
Both projects are written in JavaScript. Eleventy is the lighter option, starting around 256 MB of RAM against 1,024 MB for Gatsby. Gatsby is the more established project (first released 2015), while Eleventy arrived in 2018. Gatsby has the considerably larger community, at 55,942 GitHub stars versus 19,929.
Why pick each one
Choose Eleventy if…
- Very flexible templating
- Lean output
Watch out for
- No built-in admin
- Requires Node tooling
Choose Gatsby if…
- Great for React developers
- Pulls content from many sources
Watch out for
- Heavier build process
- Steeper learning curve
Frequently asked questions
Is Eleventy or Gatsby better?
Neither is universally better. Gatsby has the larger community; both share a medium setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Eleventy and Gatsby free and open-source?
Yes. Eleventy is licensed under MIT and Gatsby under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Eleventy and Gatsby with Docker?
Eleventy: check the project docs for container support. Gatsby: check the project docs for container support.
Which is lighter on resources, Eleventy or Gatsby?
Eleventy has the smaller minimum footprint at 256 MB of RAM, compared to about 1,024 MB for Gatsby. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.