Best Static Site Generators in 2026
Updated
In short: Gatsby is ranked #1 of 35 as of 4 October 2026, ahead of Cecil and Eleventy. The best-ranked option with a free plan is Cecil. The lowest first paid tier on this page is Gatsby at $9/mo.
Building a site from source content involves choices about how materials are handled, previewed and published. Compare supported languages and content sources, then weigh CMS integration, multilingual support and incremental builds against your workflow. A local preview server may be useful when you want to inspect changes before publishing. Gatsby, Cecil and Eleventy are among the generators to compare, with Nanoc and Bridgetown also included. Free-plan availability and paid-from pricing offer additional cost context. Consider which publishing and build features matter for the sites you maintain, as well as how a generator fits the languages and content you already use.
35 static site generators ranked on what their makers publish — plans and prices, free tiers, platforms and the facts on their own pages.
Recognised 40% · Phone app 26% · Documented 20% · Free plan 14% of the score
- 1 Gatsby No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 8.3$9/mo Content sources: apiCMS integration: YesIncremental builds: Yes
- 2 Cecil No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 8.0Free Content sources: markdownIncremental builds: Yes
- 3 Eleventy No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 7.8Free Content sources: markdownCMS integration: Yes
- 4 Nanoc No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 7.6Free Content sources: databaseCMS integration: NoIncremental builds: Yes
- 5 Bridgetown No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 7.5 Content sources: markdownCMS integration: YesIncremental builds: Yes
- 6 Hugo No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 7.4 Content sources: markdown
- 7 Lume No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 7.3Free Content sources: markdownCMS integration: Yes
- 8 Metalsmith No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 7.3Free Content sources: markdownCMS integration: YesIncremental builds: Yes
- 9 Publii No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 7.0
- 10 Nikola No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 6.7
- 11 Zola No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 6.6 Content sources: markdown
- 12 Astro Starlight No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 6.4
- 13 Pelican No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 6.3
- 14 VuePress No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 6.2
- 15 Hakyll No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 6.2 Content sources: markdownIncremental builds: Yes
- 16 Toucan No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 6.2Free Content sources: markdownCMS integration: Yes
- 17 Jekyll No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 6.1
- 18 Cobalt No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 6.1 Content sources: markdown
- 19 Stapy No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 6.0
- 20 Roq No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 6.0 Content sources: markdown
- 21 Franklin.jl No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 5.9 Content sources: markdown
- 22 Middleman No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 5.9 Content sources: markdown
- 23 Jigsaw No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 5.8 Content sources: markdown
- 24 Statiq No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 5.7$50/mo Content sources: database
- 25 JungleJS No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 5.7 Content sources: markdownCMS integration: Yes
Compare all 25 in a table
| # | App | Score | Free plan | From | Free plan | Paid from | Content sources | CMS integration |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gatsby | 8.3 | Free plan | $9/mo | Yes | $9/mo | api | Yes |
| 2 | Cecil | 8.0 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | markdown | — |
| 3 | Eleventy | 7.8 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | markdown | Yes |
| 4 | Nanoc | 7.6 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | database | No |
| 5 | Bridgetown | 7.5 | No | — | Yes | — | markdown | Yes |
| 6 | Hugo | 7.4 | No | — | Yes | — | markdown | — |
| 7 | Lume | 7.3 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | markdown | Yes |
| 8 | Metalsmith | 7.3 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | markdown | Yes |
| 9 | Publii | 7.0 | No | — | Yes | — | — | — |
| 10 | Nikola | 6.7 | No | — | Yes | — | — | — |
| 11 | Zola | 6.6 | No | — | Yes | — | markdown | — |
| 12 | Astro Starlight | 6.4 | No | — | Yes | — | — | — |
| 13 | Pelican | 6.3 | No | — | Yes | — | — | — |
| 14 | VuePress | 6.2 | No | — | Yes | — | — | — |
| 15 | Hakyll | 6.2 | No | — | Yes | — | markdown | — |
| 16 | Toucan | 6.2 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | markdown | Yes |
| 17 | Jekyll | 6.1 | No | — | — | — | — | — |
| 18 | Cobalt | 6.1 | No | — | Yes | — | markdown | — |
| 19 | Stapy | 6.0 | No | — | Yes | — | — | — |
| 20 | Roq | 6.0 | No | — | Yes | — | markdown | — |
| 21 | Franklin.jl | 5.9 | No | — | Yes | — | markdown | — |
| 22 | Middleman | 5.9 | No | — | Yes | — | markdown | — |
| 23 | Jigsaw | 5.8 | No | — | Yes | — | markdown | — |
| 24 | Statiq | 5.7 | No | $50/mo | — | — | database | — |
| 25 | JungleJS | 5.7 | No | — | Yes | — | markdown | Yes |
Is your app on this list?
Numbered spots on this list can be sponsored. They are labelled, and the editorial order and scores never change for payment.
Questions about this list
Which static site generator is ranked first on Samsung Mobile US Press?
Gatsby is ranked #1 of 35 with a score of 8.3. Cecil is second and Eleventy third.
How many of these have a free plan?
7 of the 25 on this page publish a free plan on their own pricing pages.
Which is the cheapest paid option?
On this page, Gatsby has the lowest first paid tier we found: $9/mo.
How is this list ranked?
Ranked mobile-first: a phone app alongside the web or desktop product, a free tier and the depth of its documentation. Paid placements never change a rank.