What are six recommended Next.js alternatives?

Next.js is a popular static site generator (SSG) that stands out for its wide range of features, flexible usage and strong performance. Depending on your project’s complexity, desired features or specific requirements, other tools might be more suitable. Popular alternatives to Next.js include Jekyll, Hugo, Gatsby, Nuxt, Astro and Eleventy.

What is Next.js and when might an alternative be useful?

Next.js is an open-source React framework that seamlessly combines important rendering strategies. It functions not only as a static site generator but also supports server-side rendering (SSR) and incremental static regeneration (ISR). This combination enables fast load times, high scalability, and the ability to handle dynamic content.

Despite its many benefits, there are scenarios where choosing a Next.js alternative makes sense. Projects with simple requirements can be overwhelmed by its wide feature set, and larger websites may experience long build times. Some developers also prefer leaner, more specialized tools.

Jekyll

Jekyll, released in 2008 and developed in Ruby, is an open-source static site generator that converts HTML fragments and Markdown or Textile files into static HTML using Liquid templates. Its tight integration with GitHub Pages allows websites to be hosted directly from a repository without additional infrastructure. Jekyll also offers strong security and stability, as delivering static files minimizes potential vulnerabilities. Since it requires no constant patching, its robust code base ensures high long-term availability.

As a Next.js alternative, Jekyll is best suited for projects needing static pages with minimal overhead. However, it lacks built-in mechanisms for dynamic functions like server-side rendering, API endpoints, or personalized user experiences.

Hugo

Hugo is an open-source SSG written in Golang, and designed for speed and flexible use cases. Distributed as a precompiled single binary, it delivers exceptionally short build times. Hugo also includes its own web server, avoiding external dependencies. Configuration can be done in YAML, JSON, or TOML. With features like fast asset pipelines, multilingual support, and integrated taxonomies, many tasks are handled out of the box—no extra components required.

Hugo is an excellent Next.js alternative for purely static projects where performance and minimal infrastructure are key. It offers easy configuration and a clear folder structure, making it efficient even for large content pipelines. It is particularly effective for blogs, documentation and marketing sites with a high volume of pages.

Gatsby

Gatsby is an open-source framework built on React and GraphQL for generating static websites with strong performance and built-in security. Data is queried via GraphQL and rendered into React elements, enabling consistent template and data integration. Since version 4, Gatsby supports server-side rendering and Deferred Static Generation (DSG) for dynamic page requests.

Gatsby is a first-rate Next js alternative for data-driven projects where static delivery, extensive image optimization, and Progressive Web App-functionality are the focus. Its plugin ecosystem with over 2,500 extensions makes adding features like PWA support, image compression or automatic sitemap generation easy.

Nuxt

Nuxt is a JavaScript library based on Vue.js. It’s open source and offers universal rendering, combining static site generation, server-side rendering, and single-page application (SPA) capabilities in one environment—surpassing Next.js in some areas. By default, Nuxt pages are pre-rendered on the server before being sent to the browser. For versatile full-stack applications, it uses the Nitro server engine.

Nuxt is an ideal alternative to Next js if you work primarily with Vue.js and want a closed ecosystem with built-in features. It offers automatic component imports, integrated API routes, and TypeScript support. Projects requiring both static content and dynamic endpoints can be built easily in this streamlined environment.

Astro

Astro is an open-source framework that uses island architecture. It primarily generates static HTML pages and adds selected interactive components—called islands—with JavaScript. This allows most content to be delivered as static HTML, while only dynamic elements like carousels or forms are hydrated (made interactive) on the client side. Astro supports UI libraries such as React, Vue, and Svelte for these islands and minimizes the delivered JavaScript footprint for fast loading times.

Astro proves to be an ideal Next.js alternative in scenarios that prioritize minimal JavaScript bundles and high performance. For static pages with occasional dynamic elements, Astro offers an efficient and lightweight solution.

Eleventy

Eleventy, also known as 11ty, is a static site generator written in JavaScript known for its support of many template languages, giving developers full control over site structure. It supports Markdown, HTML, Liquid, Nunjucks, and HAML. While Eleventy supports dynamic content, it takes a static-first approach, generating pages primarily as static HTML. Client-side JavaScript is used only when necessary. Eleventy also offers faster build times than most other solutions.

As a Next.js alternative, Eleventy is perfect for static-only projects seeking maximum technical freedom. Its “Zero Config” philosophy ensures a quick start, while plugins and custom scripts extend functionality as needed. For static blogs, documentation and portfolios without server-side logic or API routing, Eleventy offers a minimalist, high-performance solution.