Best Static Site Generators in 2026
Updated
In short: Hugo is ranked #1 of 35 as of 5 October 2026, ahead of Gatsby and Cecil. The best-ranked option with a free plan is Gatsby. The lowest first paid tier on this page is Gatsby at $9/mo.
Building a site from content files or structured sources involves choices about authoring, previewing, and producing pages. Compare supported languages and content sources, then consider CMS integration, multilingual support, and incremental builds. A local preview server may matter to your development process; free-plan availability and paid-from pricing offer further points to weigh. Hugo, Gatsby, and Cecil are among the entries shown. Match the listed capabilities to how your team manages content and publishes sites.
35 static site generators ranked on what their makers publish — plans and prices, free tiers, platforms and the facts on their own pages.
7 of the 25 here have a free tier you can use, 1 has open-source code on record, and 0 have full bars: free, open, on most of your devices and documented.
| # | App | Signal | Free tier | Open code | Devices | From | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | HugoWindows · Mac · Linux | Three bars | — | 3 of 6 | — | 8.4 | |
| 2 | GatsbyWeb · Self-hosted · API | Two bars | — | 1 of 6 | $9/mo | 8.0 | |
| 3 | CecilWindows · Mac · Linux | Three bars | — | 3 of 6 | Free | 8.0 | |
| 4 | EleventyWindows · Mac · Linux · Self-hosted | Three bars | — | 3 of 6 | Free | 7.8 | |
| 5 | NanocWindows · Mac · Linux | Three bars | — | 3 of 6 | Free | 7.6 | |
| 6 | MetalsmithWindows · Mac · Linux · API | Three bars | — | 3 of 6 | Free | 7.3 | |
| 7 | LumeWeb · Self-hosted | Two bars | — | 1 of 6 | Free | 7.2 | |
| 8 | BridgetownWindows · Mac · Linux · Self-hosted · API | Two bars | — | — | 3 of 6 | — | 7.0 |
| 9 | PubliiWindows · Mac · Linux | One bar | — | — | 3 of 6 | — | 6.8 |
| 10 | NikolaWindows · Mac · Linux | One bar | — | — | 3 of 6 | — | 6.6 |
| 11 | ZolaWindows · Mac · Linux | One bar | — | — | 3 of 6 | — | 6.5 |
| 12 | ToucanMac · Linux | Two bars | — | 2 of 6 | Free | 6.4 | |
| 13 | HakyllWindows · Mac · Linux | Two bars | — | — | 3 of 6 | — | 6.3 |
| 14 | Astro StarlightWeb | No signal | — | — | 1 of 6 | — | 6.2 |
| 15 | JekyllWindows · Mac · Linux | One bar | — | — | 3 of 6 | — | 6.2 |
| 16 | PelicanWindows · Mac · Linux | One bar | — | — | 3 of 6 | — | 6.2 |
| 17 | VuePressWeb | No signal | — | — | 1 of 6 | — | 6.1 |
| 18 | CobaltWindows · Mac · Linux | One bar | — | — | 3 of 6 | — | 6.0 |
| 19 | StapyWindows · Linux | No signal | — | — | 2 of 6 | — | 5.9 |
| 20 | RoqWindows · Mac · Linux | One bar | — | — | 3 of 6 | — | 5.9 |
| 21 | MiddlemanWindows · Mac · Linux | One bar | — | — | 3 of 6 | — | 5.8 |
| 22 | Franklin.jlWeb | No signal | — | — | 1 of 6 | — | 5.7 |
| 23 | JigsawNo platforms listed | No signal | — | — | 0 of 6 | — | 5.5 |
| 24 | StatiqNo platforms listed | No signal | — | — | 0 of 6 | $50/mo | 5.5 |
| 25 | JungleJSNo platforms listed | No signal | — | — | 0 of 6 | — | 5.4 |
Compare all 25 in a table
| # | App | Score | Free plan | From | Free plan | Paid from | Content sources | CMS integration |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hugo | 8.4 | No | — | Yes | — | markdown | — |
| 2 | Gatsby | 8.0 | Free plan | $9/mo | Yes | $9/mo | api | Yes |
| 3 | Cecil | 8.0 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | markdown | — |
| 4 | Eleventy | 7.8 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | markdown | Yes |
| 5 | Nanoc | 7.6 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | database | No |
| 6 | Metalsmith | 7.3 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | markdown | Yes |
| 7 | Lume | 7.2 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | markdown | Yes |
| 8 | Bridgetown | 7.0 | No | — | Yes | — | markdown | Yes |
| 9 | Publii | 6.8 | No | — | Yes | — | — | — |
| 10 | Nikola | 6.6 | No | — | Yes | — | — | — |
| 11 | Zola | 6.5 | No | — | Yes | — | markdown | — |
| 12 | Toucan | 6.4 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | markdown | Yes |
| 13 | Hakyll | 6.3 | No | — | Yes | — | markdown | — |
| 14 | Astro Starlight | 6.2 | No | — | Yes | — | — | — |
| 15 | Jekyll | 6.2 | No | — | — | — | — | — |
| 16 | Pelican | 6.2 | No | — | Yes | — | — | — |
| 17 | VuePress | 6.1 | No | — | Yes | — | — | — |
| 18 | Cobalt | 6.0 | No | — | Yes | — | markdown | — |
| 19 | Stapy | 5.9 | No | — | Yes | — | — | — |
| 20 | Roq | 5.9 | No | — | Yes | — | markdown | — |
| 21 | Middleman | 5.8 | No | — | Yes | — | markdown | — |
| 22 | Franklin.jl | 5.7 | No | — | Yes | — | markdown | — |
| 23 | Jigsaw | 5.5 | No | — | Yes | — | markdown | — |
| 24 | Statiq | 5.5 | No | $50/mo | — | — | database | — |
| 25 | JungleJS | 5.4 | No | — | Yes | — | markdown | Yes |
Is your app on this list?
Numbered spots on this list can be sponsored, and a sponsored row is labelled as paid.
Questions about this list
Which static site generator is ranked first on Freedom251?
Hugo is ranked #1 of 35 with a score of 8.4. Gatsby is second and Cecil 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 free-and-open first: a usable free tier and open-source code, then the platforms it runs on and its documentation.