Gatsby vs Gridsome
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted blogging platforms options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Gatsby
React-based static site and blog generator
VS
Gridsome
Vue.js static site generator with a GraphQL data layer
| Feature | Gatsby | Gridsome |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Read-the-docs project | Read-the-docs project |
| Health score | 96 · Excellent | 29 · At risk |
| Category | Blogging Platforms | Blogging Platforms |
| License | MIT | MIT |
| Language | JavaScript | JavaScript |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 1,024 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | binary, source | source, binary |
| GitHub stars | ★ 55,942 | ★ 8,464 |
| First released | 2015 | 2018 |
| Replaces | WordPress, Medium | Gatsby, WordPress |
What are Gatsby and Gridsome?
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
Gridsome
Gridsome is a free and open-source Vue.js-powered framework for building static generated websites and apps that are fast by default. It pulls data from any source into a unified GraphQL layer for use in pages and templates.
- Unified GraphQL data layer
- Vue single-page experience
- Plugin sources
- Static prerendering
Gatsby vs Gridsome: key differences
Both projects are written in JavaScript. Gridsome is the lighter option, starting around 512 MB of RAM against 1,024 MB for Gatsby. Gatsby is the more established project (first released 2015), while Gridsome arrived in 2018. Gatsby has the considerably larger community, at 55,942 GitHub stars versus 8,464.
Why pick each one
Choose Gatsby if…
- Great for React developers
- Pulls content from many sources
Watch out for
- Heavier build process
- Steeper learning curve
Choose Gridsome if…
- Released under the MIT license
- Mature project with 8.5k GitHub stars
- Written in JavaScript
- Lightweight — runs in 512 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is Gatsby or Gridsome 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 Gatsby and Gridsome free and open-source?
Yes. Gatsby is licensed under MIT and Gridsome under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Gatsby and Gridsome with Docker?
Gatsby: check the project docs for container support. Gridsome: check the project docs for container support.
Which is lighter on resources, Gatsby or Gridsome?
Gridsome has the smaller minimum footprint at 512 MB of RAM, compared to about 1,024 MB for Gatsby. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.