Jekyll vs Hugo

If you’re looking to build a static website, you’ll need a static site generator (SSG) to help you do it. Two popular SSGs are Jekyll and Hugo. In this article, we’ll compare the two and help you decide which one might be best for your needs.

What are Jekyll and Hugo?

Jekyll is a Ruby-based SSG that was first released in 2008. It’s designed to be simple and straightforward, with a focus on blogging and content-driven sites. Jekyll is the SSG behind GitHub Pages, which makes it a popular choice for developers and bloggers alike.

Hugo, on the other hand, is a Go-based SSG that was first released in 2013. It’s designed to be fast and flexible, with a focus on performance and scalability. Hugo has a large and active community, and is known for its ease of use and wide range of features.

Ease of use

Both Jekyll and Hugo are relatively easy to use, even for beginners. Jekyll’s Ruby-based syntax may take some getting used to if you’re not familiar with the language, but its documentation is well-written and comprehensive. Hugo’s Go-based syntax is simpler and more intuitive, making it a good choice for those who are new to SSGs.

Performance

Hugo is known for its fast build times, thanks to its use of Go and its caching mechanisms. Jekyll is generally slower than Hugo, but it’s still fast enough for most use cases. However, if you have a large site with lots of content, Hugo may be the better choice.

Themes and customization

Both Jekyll and Hugo offer a wide range of themes that you can use to customize the look and feel of your site. Jekyll has a larger selection of themes available, but Hugo’s themes are generally more flexible and easier to customize. Jekyll also has a more complex theming system, which may be overwhelming for some users.

Plugins and extensibility

Jekyll has a large and active community of developers, which means there are plenty of plugins and extensions available to help you extend its functionality. Hugo’s community is smaller, but there are still plenty of plugins and extensions available. Hugo also has a built-in asset pipeline, which can be a big time-saver.

Documentation and support

Both Jekyll and Hugo have comprehensive documentation and active communities that can help you troubleshoot any issues you may encounter. Jekyll’s community is larger and more established, which means there’s a wealth of information available. Hugo’s community is growing quickly, but it may be more difficult to find answers to obscure questions.

Hosting

Both Jekyll and Hugo can be hosted on a wide variety of platforms, including traditional web hosts, cloud services, and static site hosts. However, Jekyll has a distinct advantage when it comes to hosting, as it’s the default SSG for GitHub Pages. This means that you can host your Jekyll site for free on GitHub, which is a major benefit for many users.

Conclusion

Both Jekyll and Hugo are great choices for building static websites, and each has its own strengths and weaknesses. If you’re looking for a simple and straightforward SSG with a large selection of themes and plugins, Jekyll may be the way to go. If you need a fast and flexible SSG with a wide range of features and a simpler theming system, Hugo may be the better choice. Ultimately, the decision will come down to your specific needs and preferences.