Astro vs Hugo vs Eleventy (2026)

Q: Can I migrate between them

Content (Markdown) transfers easily. Templates need rewriting. Astro has the easiest migration path from other JS-based generators.

Q: Which has the best hosting support

All three deploy to Vercel, Netlify, Cloudflare Pages. Astro has the deepest Vercel integration.

Q: What about Next.js for static sites

Next.js works but ships more JavaScript. Astro is purpose-built for content sites and ships zero JS by default. Use Next.js for apps, Astro for content.

Static site generators build fast, SEO-friendly websites from templates and content. Here's how the three most popular options compare in 2026.

Quick Comparison

Feature	Astro	Hugo	Eleventy
Language	JavaScript/TS	Go	JavaScript
Build Speed	Fast	Fastest	Moderate
JS Framework Support	React, Vue, Svelte, all	❌ Go templates	❌ Nunjucks, Liquid
Islands Architecture	✅	❌	❌
Content Collections	✅ Built-in	✅ Built-in	⚠️ Manual
Image Optimization	✅ Built-in	✅ Built-in	Plugin
Client JS by Default	Zero	Zero	Zero
Learning Curve	Low (if you know React)	Medium (Go templates)	Low
Community	Large, growing fast	Large, mature	Smaller, dedicated
Best For	Content + interactive	Pure content, speed	Simple sites, flexibility

Astro — The Modern Choice

Best for: Content sites that need some interactivity (blogs, docs, marketing sites).

---
// src/pages/blog/[slug].astro
import { getCollection } from 'astro:content'
import Layout from '../../layouts/Layout.astro'

const posts = await getCollection('blog')
const { slug } = Astro.params
const post = posts.find(p => p.slug === slug)
const { Content } = await post.render()
---
<Layout title={post.data.title}>
  <article>
    <h1>{post.data.title}</h1>
    <Content />
  </article>
</Layout>

Why Astro wins in 2026:

Islands architecture — add React/Vue/Svelte components that hydrate independently
Zero JS by default — pages ship zero JavaScript unless you opt in
Content collections — type-safe markdown/MDX with schema validation
Use any framework — mix React, Vue, Svelte in the same project
View Transitions — built-in page transitions

Pros: Most flexible, best DX for JS developers, islands architecture, growing ecosystem. Cons: Slower builds than Hugo for very large sites, newer (less battle-tested).

Hugo — The Speed Demon

Best for: Large content sites where build speed matters (1000+ pages).

<!-- layouts/_default/single.html -->
{{ define "main" }}
<article>
  <h1>{{ .Title }}</h1>
  <time>{{ .Date.Format "January 2, 2006" }}</time>
  {{ .Content }}
</article>
{{ end }}

Why Hugo still matters:

Fastest builds — 10,000 pages in ~5 seconds
Single binary — no node_modules, no dependencies
Mature — 10+ years, battle-tested at scale
Built-in everything — image processing, i18n, taxonomies, menus

Pros: Fastest builds by far, zero dependencies, excellent for large sites. Cons: Go templates are awkward, no JS framework support, harder to add interactivity.

Eleventy — The Flexible One

Best for: Developers who want maximum control with minimal opinions.

// .eleventy.js
module.exports = function(eleventyConfig) {
  eleventyConfig.addCollection('posts', collection => {
    return collection.getFilteredByGlob('src/posts/*.md').sort((a, b) => b.date - a.date)
  })
  return { dir: { input: 'src', output: '_site' } }
}

Why Eleventy:

Zero config — works out of the box
Template agnostic — Nunjucks, Liquid, Handlebars, Markdown, JS
Data cascade — flexible data merging from multiple sources
Minimal — does exactly what you need, nothing more

Pros: Most flexible, simplest mental model, lightweight. Cons: Smallest ecosystem, slower builds than Hugo, no built-in image optimization.

Build Speed (1000 pages)

Generator	Build Time
Hugo	~0.5s
Astro	~5s
Eleventy	~8s

Hugo is 10-16x faster. For most sites (<500 pages), all three build in under 5 seconds.

Decision Guide

Want React/Vue components → Astro
10,000+ pages → Hugo
Maximum simplicity → Eleventy
Interactive features (search, forms) → Astro
No JavaScript dependency → Hugo

FAQ

Can I migrate between them?