Freedom251 › Static site generators
Grain
What Grain is
Grain is a free Groovy framework and static website generator for company websites and personal blogs. It runs on Linux, macOS, and Windows, with Windows users directed to the grainw command. Projects can use Markdown, reStructuredText, or AsciiDoctor, and content files may contain embedded Groovy code, including code in stylesheets and JavaScript files. Grain provides a local preview mode that reloads website changes so updates can be viewed in a browser. Its build features include source compression and minification, Python Pygments code highlighting, and Sass and SCSS support. Responsive themes listed by the project include Agency, Clean Blog, Freelancer, New Age, and Octopress. Grain generates website files into a target directory and includes a deploy command, while manual deployment is also possible. Running a project requires JDK 7 or later. Grain is licensed under Apache License, Version 2.0. An issue tracker is available, and SysGears offers commercial support with a reply within one working day after email contact.
Who it suits
Grain suits developers building company sites or personal blogs with Groovy and static output. It is also aimed at users who want multiple markup choices, local previews, and theme options.
What it does well
- Free plan and Apache 2.0 license
- Runs on Linux, macOS, and Windows
- Supports Markdown, reStructuredText, and AsciiDoctor
- Local preview reloads website changes
- Includes compression, minification, and Sass support
What to know first
- Requires JDK 7 or later
- Windows uses grainw instead of ./grainw
Verdict
Grain combines Groovy-based site generation with several markup formats, preview tools, themes, and asset-processing features. Its JDK requirement and Windows-specific command are important setup details.
Facts from Grain's own pages
- Asset processing
- Grain supports source file compression and minification, Python Pygments code highlighting, and Sass and SCSS. · github.com, 9 Oct 2026
- Build features
- Grain offers source compression and minification, Python Pygments code highlighting, and built-in Sass and SCSS support. · github.com, 10 Oct 2026
- Content formats
- Grain supports Markdown, reStructuredText, and AsciiDoctor. · github.com, 9 Oct 2026
- Content sources
- markdown · github.com, 22 Sept 2026
- Deployment
- Grain can generate website files and deploy them manually or with its deploy command. · github.com, 10 Oct 2026
- Embedded code
- Grain supports embedded Groovy code in content files, including stylesheets and JavaScript files. · github.com, 10 Oct 2026
- Free plan
- Yes · github.com, 22 Sept 2026
- Groovy support
- It supports embedded Groovy code in content files and configurable conventions for processing content sources with Groovy. · github.com, 9 Oct 2026
- Intended users
- SysGears describes Grain as suitable for demanding static websites and says it includes themes and examples to help users get started. · sysgears.com, 10 Oct 2026
- License
- The README states that Grain is licensed under Apache License 2.0. · github.com, 10 Oct 2026
- Live preview
- Preview mode applies changes on the fly, and the README says you can see file changes in the browser after refreshing. · github.com, 9 Oct 2026
- Markup
- Grain supports Markdown, reStructuredText, and AsciiDoctor. · github.com, 10 Oct 2026
- Preview
- Preview mode reloads website changes so developers can see updates as they work. · github.com, 10 Oct 2026
- Local preview server
- Yes · github.com, 22 Sept 2026
- Requirements
- Running a Grain project requires JDK 7 or later. · github.com, 9 Oct 2026
- Runtime requirement
- Running a Grain project requires JDK 7 or later. · github.com, 10 Oct 2026
- Support
- The README says SysGears offers commercial support and will respond to inquiries within one working day. · github.com, 10 Oct 2026
- Supported languages
- Groovy,Java · github.com, 22 Sept 2026
- Themes
- The project lists responsive themes including Agency, Clean Blog, Freelancer, New Age, and Octopress. · github.com, 10 Oct 2026
- What it does
- Grain is a Groovy framework and static website generator for company websites and personal blogs. · github.com, 10 Oct 2026
- Windows support
- The README says Windows users should run the grainw command instead of ./grainw. · github.com, 10 Oct 2026
Where Grain stands on Freedom251
- Static site generators#29 of 35