Gatsby vs Zola
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
Zola
Fast static site engine in a single binary
| Feature | Gatsby | Zola |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Read-the-docs project | Read-the-docs project |
| Health score | 96 · Excellent | 95 · Excellent |
| Category | Blogging Platforms | Blogging Platforms |
| License | MIT | MIT |
| Language | JavaScript | Rust |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 1,024 MB | 128 MB |
| Deployment | binary, source | binary, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 55,942 | ★ 17,463 |
| First released | 2015 | 2017 |
| Replaces | WordPress, Medium | WordPress, Medium |
What are Gatsby and Zola?
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
Zola
Zola is an open-source static site generator written in Rust that ships as a single binary with no dependencies. It builds blogs and documentation sites quickly with built-in Sass and search support.
- Single dependency-free binary
- Fast builds
- Built-in Sass compilation
- Built-in search index
Gatsby vs Zola: key differences
Gatsby is written in JavaScript, while Zola is built with Rust. Zola is the lighter option, starting around 128 MB of RAM against 1,024 MB for Gatsby. Gatsby is the more established project (first released 2015), while Zola arrived in 2017. Gatsby has the considerably larger community, at 55,942 GitHub stars versus 17,463.
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 Zola if…
- No toolchain to install
- Very fast
Watch out for
- No admin UI
- Smaller theme selection
Frequently asked questions
Is Gatsby or Zola 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 Zola free and open-source?
Yes. Gatsby is licensed under MIT and Zola under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Gatsby and Zola with Docker?
Gatsby: check the project docs for container support. Zola: check the project docs for container support.
Which is lighter on resources, Gatsby or Zola?
Zola has the smaller minimum footprint at 128 MB of RAM, compared to about 1,024 MB for Gatsby. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.