Eleventy

Eleventy is a free, MIT-licensed static site generator that turns templates into HTML. It suits developers building content-led sites or moving selected templates into a static workflow; its default zero-client-JavaScript output is a poor match for single-page applications.

Overview

Eleventy begins with zero configuration but leaves room to adapt its setup as a project grows. It can fit into an existing directory structure, making it possible to convert selected templates rather than replace a whole site at once. That incremental path is a practical advantage for teams modernizing an established project.

Its defaults favor generated pages and full-page navigation, not a client-rendered application. That makes Eleventy a natural fit for content-focused sites, but the documentation cautions against choosing it for a single-page application.

Key features

Templates and content

Eleventy supports HTML, Markdown, WebC, JavaScript, Liquid, Nunjucks, Handlebars, Mustache, EJS, Haml, Pug, TypeScript, JSX, MDX, Sass and custom formats. This range gives developers latitude to use familiar formats or combine them, but it is a code-oriented workflow rather than a visual site editor. Markdown sources, CMS integration, multilingual support and a local preview server cover useful parts of a publishing workflow.

Builds and remote data

The homepage reports a build time of 1.93 seconds for 4,000 Markdown files, a striking benchmark for content-heavy projects, though it is a reported example rather than a guarantee for every site. The Eleventy Fetch plugin can retrieve remote resources and cache JSON, HTML, images, videos and other assets; cached data can still be used offline. Because its cache stores complete network responses, the project recommends excluding the cache directory from version control to avoid exposing private data. For Netlify Functions and AWS Lambda deployments, the documentation shows using a writable /tmp cache location.

Runtime and community

Eleventy requires JavaScript and recommends Node.js 18 or newer. Its quick start provides npm, pnpm and Yarn commands, with instructions for macOS, Linux, Windows and cross-platform use. Community channels include Discord, Mastodon, Bluesky, YouTube and a newsletter. The project asks users to report vulnerabilities privately through GitHub or [email protected]; it reports no published security advisories. Its documentation repository is MIT licensed.

Pricing

Eleventy is free: its plan costs nothing and uses the MIT license. It is a self-hosted static-site generator, so the price does not include a hosted site service. There are no paid tiers to trade features for lower cost; users take on the JavaScript runtime and self-hosted workflow instead.

Platforms

Eleventy supports Linux, macOS, Windows and self-hosted use. The quick start documents commands across the three desktop operating systems and cross-platform use. Its runtime requirement means users need JavaScript, with Node.js 18 or newer recommended.

Who it's for

Choose Eleventy if you want to generate static pages from templates, work with Markdown or CMS content, or adopt static generation gradually within an existing directory structure. Its broad template support is useful when a project already has preferred formats, and the default absence of client-side JavaScript suits sites that do not need a JavaScript framework in the browser.

Look elsewhere if the project depends on single-page application behavior: Eleventy's full-page navigation and zero-client-JavaScript defaults point in the opposite direction. It also asks more of developers than a visual site builder, since the workflow centers on templates and a JavaScript runtime.

Pros and cons

• Pro: Zero configuration and incremental adoption let teams start small or work within an existing site rather than commit to a full migration.
• Pro: Support for many template formats, Markdown, CMS integration and multilingual content accommodates varied publishing projects.
• Pro: Zero client-side JavaScript by default keeps generated output focused on static HTML.
• Con: Full-page navigation makes Eleventy a poor fit for single-page applications.
• Con: The JavaScript runtime and template-centered workflow are not suited to readers seeking a visual editor or a runtime-free setup.
• Con: Fetch's response cache needs care: private data can be exposed if the cache directory is committed, and serverless deployment examples rely on a writable temporary location.

Alternatives

For a broader comparison, browse Static site generators. Consider Gatsby if its free open-source framework or separate free plan better fits your project; the latter has a 300 credit limit per month. Cecil is another free option for Linux, macOS and Windows, distributed under the EUPL-1.2 license. Nanoc is a free option for those platforms described as a passion project. Hugo is an open-source, free-to-use alternative for Windows, macOS and Linux. Bridgetown is a free option across API, Linux, macOS, self-hosted and Windows platforms. Zola is a free, single-executable option for Linux, macOS, self-hosted and Windows use. Metalsmith is a free MIT/(L)GPL-licensed option for API and desktop platforms. Publii is a free option for Windows, macOS and Linux.

Verdict

Eleventy is a strong choice for developers who want a flexible, free template-to-HTML workflow, especially when they need to adopt static generation gradually or keep browser-side JavaScript out of the default output. Its main reason to look elsewhere is equally clear: projects built around single-page application behavior need a different approach.