Nanoc
Nanoc · Berlin, Germany · founded 2007
What it is
Nanoc is a free command-line static-site generator that turns content such as Markdown or AsciiDoc into HTML. It is not a CMS: sites are developed locally, with content usually managed in the filesystem, then generated for deployment. Its scope ranges from a personal blog to a corporate website. Free-form metadata lets pages take different roles, and templates can use eRuby, Haml, or Mustache. Users can write custom filters and helpers, and bring in data from databases or web APIs. Nanoc supports incremental builds, multilingual sites, and a local preview server. Deployment connections include Git, rsync, GitHub Pages, Bitbucket, GitLab Pages, and Netlify, with checks available before deployment. The project says static sites lack dynamic content and are therefore immune to most common attacks. Nanoc requires Ruby 3.1 or higher, with CRuby needed for guaranteed support. macOS and Linux are officially supported; Windows has limitations and is not officially supported. The project is MIT-licensed, and its latest listed release is Nanoc 4.14.8, released August 30, 2026.
For and against
For
- Free static-site generator with incremental builds
- Supports multilingual sites and local previews
- Can use database and web API data
- Provides pre-deployment checks
Against
- It is not a CMS
- Requires Ruby 3.1 or higher
- Windows is not officially supported and has limitations
- CRuby is needed for guaranteed support
The verdict
Nanoc offers a flexible, free workflow for generating static sites, with support for metadata, templates, and deployment checks. It is best suited to Ruby-based workflows; Windows support is limited and unofficial.
Who it suits
Nanoc suits developers comfortable with Ruby and command-line site workflows who want to generate static sites. It can serve projects from personal blogs to corporate websites.
Plans and prices
Nanoc
passion project · provided free of charge
Read 1 Oct 2026 · nanoc.denisdefreyne.com
On the record
- CMS integration
- Nonanoc.denisdefreyne.com · read 20 Sep 2026
- Content model
- Nanoc is not a CMS; it processes content that is usually managed on the filesystem.nanoc.denisdefreyne.com · read 1 Oct 2026
- Content sources
- databasenanoc.denisdefreyne.com · read 20 Sep 2026
- Current release
- The latest release is Nanoc 4.14.8, released on August 30th, 2026.nanoc.denisdefreyne.com · read 1 Oct 2026
- Deployment
- Nanoc integrates with various deployment mechanisms and provides a nanoc deploy command, with examples for Git, rsync, GitHub Pages, Bitbucket, GitLab Pages and Netlify.nanoc.denisdefreyne.com · read 1 Oct 2026
- Deployment checks
- Nanoc can run pre-deployment checks.nanoc.denisdefreyne.com · read 1 Oct 2026
- Extensibility
- Nanoc lets users write custom filters and helpers.nanoc.denisdefreyne.com · read 1 Oct 2026
- External data
- Nanoc can pull data from databases and web APIs.nanoc.denisdefreyne.com · read 1 Oct 2026
- Incremental builds
- Yesnanoc.denisdefreyne.com · read 20 Sep 2026
- Installation
- Nanoc is installed using RubyGems with the command gem install nanoc.nanoc.denisdefreyne.com · read 1 Oct 2026
- License
- Nanoc is licensed under the MIT license.nanoc.denisdefreyne.com · read 1 Oct 2026
- Markup and templates
- Nanoc supports markup languages including Markdown, AsciiDoc and Textile, and templating languages including eRuby, Haml and Mustache.nanoc.denisdefreyne.com · read 1 Oct 2026
- Metadata
- Nanoc supports free-form metadata, allowing pages to be processed as articles, chapters, reviews, recipes, and other types.nanoc.denisdefreyne.com · read 1 Oct 2026
- Multilingual support
- Yesnanoc.denisdefreyne.com · read 20 Sep 2026
- Local preview server
- Yesnanoc.denisdefreyne.com · read 20 Sep 2026
- Runtime
- Nanoc requires Ruby 3.1 or higher and the CRuby implementation for guaranteed support.nanoc.denisdefreyne.com · read 1 Oct 2026
- Security
- The site says static sites do not contain dynamic content and are therefore immune to most common attacks.nanoc.denisdefreyne.com · read 1 Oct 2026
- Site scale
- Nanoc is fit for building anything from a small personal blog to a large corporate website.nanoc.denisdefreyne.com · read 1 Oct 2026
