About Eleventy
Eleventy (11ty) is a simpler, more flexible static site generator built on Node.js. It champions zero-config simplicity and templating freedom — supporting 10+ template languages including Liquid, Nunjucks, Markdown, and JavaScript. For developers who want complete control over their blog's output without framework lock-in, Eleventy is the minimalist's choice.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Maximum flexibility — supports more templating languages than any other SSG
- Zero client-side JavaScript shipped by default — pure HTML output
- Simple mental model — no GraphQL, no complex build pipeline
- Active development with strong community backing
- Easy migration from Jekyll or other template-based SSGs
Cons
- Smaller theme ecosystem — most sites are built from scratch
- Less opinionated means more decisions for the developer
- Documentation can be sparse for advanced use cases
- Build times slower than Hugo for very large sites
Key Features
10+ templating languages (Liquid, Nunjucks, Markdown, Handlebars, etc.)
Zero client-side JavaScript by default
Incremental builds for faster development
Data cascade system for flexible content management
Plugin system for extensibility
Works with any directory structure
Built-in development server with hot reload
Image optimization plugin
Pagination and collection APIs
No framework dependency — pure HTML output
Pricing
- Full feature set
- MIT license
- Community support
Featured In
7 Best Static Site Generators for Developer Blogs (2026)
Best for developers who want full control — maximum flexibility and zero opinions for those who prefer building their blog infrastructure from scratch
7 Webflow Alternatives for Developers Who Prefer Code (2026)
Best for developers who want maximum flexibility and zero framework opinions — Eleventy gives you complete control over every byte of output.
7 WordPress Alternatives for Bloggers Who Want Speed and Simplicity (2026)
The developer's blogging tool for those who want absolute control with zero framework overhead
6 Best Static Site Generators With Incremental Builds (2026)
Best for developers who want explicit incremental build control with maximum template flexibility and zero framework lock-in.