Eleventy is the generator to reach for when the goal is fast HTML with no framework tax. It ships zero client JavaScript by default, starts with almost no config, and outputs markup that outlives the tooling around it. The trade is honest: there is no component or island model, and the project leans on a small maintainer core. For blogs, docs, and content sites that value speed and longevity over a UI framework, it is a solid pick. Teams that want components reach for Astro instead.
- Zero client-side JavaScript shipped by default
- Zero-config start, sensible defaults, no boilerplate
- Multiple template languages, Nunjucks, Liquid, Markdown, JS, HTML
- Outputs framework-free HTML that survives tooling churn
- v3 is full ESM while keeping CommonJS projects working
- No built-in component or island model like Astro
- Largely a single-maintainer project, smaller core team
- Interactivity is bring-your-own, no first-party client layer
- Smaller plugin ecosystem than React-based generators
- Config conventions reward learning the data cascade
Eleventy (often written 11ty) is a JavaScript static site generator that turns a directory of templates into plain HTML. It targets developers who want a fast content site without adopting a UI framework, and it has become the default answer for people leaving Jekyll who would rather not learn Ruby.
Where it fits
Eleventy is a zero-config generator: point it at a folder of templates and it produces static HTML, with no client runtime injected. It accepts many template languages in the same project, including Markdown, Nunjucks, Liquid, HTML, and plain JavaScript, so existing content rarely needs rewriting. Because the output is framework-free HTML, the result is small, fast, and durable. It fits blogs, documentation sites, changelogs, and marketing pages that want speed and simplicity rather than an application layer. Where a site needs rich interactivity, that work is bring-your-own: Eleventy hands back HTML and stays out of the way.
Cost to adopt
Eleventy is free and MIT-licensed, with no paid tier and nothing to host beyond the static output itself. The real cost is conceptual rather than financial. The framework ships no JavaScript to the browser by default, which keeps pages light but means interactivity is the developer’s responsibility. It is also largely a single-maintainer project, so the support model differs from venture-backed tools. Compared with Astro’s component-and-island model, Eleventy asks you to think in templates and a data cascade rather than components, which is less to learn up front but offers fewer guardrails as a site grows.
How it compares
Astro, adds a component model and selective hydration islands. Pick Astro when pages need interactive widgets; pick Eleventy when the answer is pure HTML.
Gatsby, a React generator with a GraphQL data layer. Heavier and React-coupled where Eleventy stays framework-free and lighter to run.
Next.js, a full React application framework with SSR and server functions. Pick Next.js for apps; pick Eleventy for content sites that ship no runtime.
What changed recently
Eleventy v3.0.0 reached general availability on 2024-10-01, rewriting the framework as ESM while keeping existing CommonJS projects working, a multi-year migration the team shipped without breaking older sites. The v3.1 line that followed landed performance gains (roughly 11 percent faster and 22 percent smaller), and the current stable build, v3.1.6, shipped on 2026-06-02 with Node 26 compatibility fixes and dependency bumps. WebC, the project’s HTML-first component format, remains an official plugin rather than core. A v4.0 alpha has been in testing since late 2025. The project continues under a small maintainer core funded through open-source sponsorship rather than a commercial parent.
Sources
- Eleventy v3.0.0 is now available, 11ty.dev, October 2024
- Eleventy releases, github.com, v3.1.6 June 2, 2026
- Eleventy documentation, 11ty.dev, June 2026
- Upgrading to Eleventy v3, mxb.dev, 2024