Jekyll
8.1#2 in static site generatorsFree planFree planWebLinuxmacOSSelf-hosted
VisitJekyll vs Metalsmith
Metalsmith
7.2#7 in static site generatorsFree planFree planAPILinuxmacOSWindows
VisitWhat both publish
| Fact | Jekyll | Metalsmith |
|---|---|---|
| Current release | The official news page lists Jekyll 4.4.1 as released on January 29, 2025. | Metalsmith 2.7 requires NodeJS 16 or newer and adds metalsmith.yml configuration support plus init and clean CLI commands. |
| Deployment | Because output is static, Jekyll sites can be deployed manually, through automation or with third-party hosting. | Builds are static folders that can be deployed to a CDN, Netlify, GitHub Pages, GitLab Pages, SFTP host or custom server over SSH. |
Jekyll plans
- JekyllFree
- Open-source JekyllFree
Metalsmith plans
- Metalsmith.jsFree
Pick Jekyll if…
Jekyll suits people who want to generate static websites or blogs from text and layouts. It is also relevant to users comfortable installing its Ruby and build-tool requirements.
Pick Metalsmith if…
Metalsmith suits developers building static sites or other file-based outputs who want to shape projects through plugins. It requires NodeJS, and automatic rebuild workflows need additional tools.