Alternatives to Gatsby
React SSG (now in maintenance at Netlify)
Gatsby ranks #2 of 8 in Static site generators, with an Alt Score of 86. It is licensed under MIT, free from Free and available on Windows, macOS and Linux. 10 of 10 checklist rows are verified against a public source.
Front-end developers and teams building content-driven websites (marketing sites, blogs, documentation, e-commerce storefronts) who want React components with strong performance out of the box.
A React framework that pre-renders pages to static HTML for fast load times, with an image optimization pipeline and support for hybrid rendering (SSG, SSR, DSG). Its unified GraphQL data layer lets you pull content from CMSs, markdown files, APIs, and databases into a single queryable schema. A large plugin and starter ecosystem handles common integrations (Contentful, WordPress, Shopify, etc.) without custom glue code.
You scaffold a site from a starter or plugin, then write React components that query data via GraphQL at build time. Gatsby compiles the site into static assets (with optional server-rendered or deferred pages) that you deploy to a host like Netlify or Gatsby Cloud.
Where Gatsby stands out
Verified capabilities most alternatives don't have.
Why people leave Gatsby
Dashed reasons are sourced facts; the rest are opinions. Vendors can dispute.
Sign in to add a reason — new reasons go through moderation before appearing.
Ranked alternatives
Ordered by Alt Score. Click any score to see the breakdown.
Feature comparison
Rows come from the Static site generators checklist (14 rows). Human-verified cells only. ? means the value has not been verified.
| Static site generators checklist | Gatsby | Eleventy | Astro | Jekyll | Publii | Zola |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | ||||||
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| License | ||||||
| Platforms | ||||||
| Build speed | ||||||
| Templating language | ||||||
| Content collections | ||||||
| Image optimization | ||||||
| i18n support | ||||||
| Plugin ecosystem | ||||||
| Markdown / MDX | ||||||
| Partial hydration / islands | ||||||
| CMS integrations | ||||||
| Learning curve |
Every fact and feature listed for Gatsby is verified against its own pages. Each alternative is sourced on its own page.
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License MIT verified 2026-07-10
The MIT License (MIT) Copyright (c) 2015 Gatsbyjs
https://raw.githubusercontent.com/gatsbyjs/gatsby/master/LICENSE -
Starts at Free verified 2026-07-10
Gatsby is a free and open-source framework based on React
https://raw.githubusercontent.com/gatsbyjs/gatsby/master/README.md -
Pricing model Free verified 2026-07-10
Gatsby is a free and open-source framework based on React that helps developers build blazing fast websites and apps.
https://raw.githubusercontent.com/gatsbyjs/gatsby/master/README.md -
Platforms Windows, macOS, Linux verified 2026-07-10
Same page has Windows + Linux setup steps.
To install Gatsby and Node.js on a Mac, it is recommended to use Homebrew.
https://www.gatsbyjs.com/docs/tutorial/getting-started/part-0/ -
Status maintenance verified 2026-07-10
Release cadence slowed (5.15 Aug 2025, 5.16 Jan 2026); Netlify-owned (2023) but still commits.
Gatsby Partial Hydration, an experimental feature for three years now, is known to be incompatible with React 19 at this time.
https://github.com/gatsbyjs/gatsby/releases/tag/gatsby%405.16.0 -
Build speed Partial verified 2026-07-10
Deferred Static Generation exists because full builds can be slow at scale.
the entire site is pre-rendered into HTML, CSS, and JavaScript at build time
https://www.gatsbyjs.com/docs/conceptual/rendering-options/ -
Templating language Yes verified 2026-07-10
JSX is an XML-like syntax extension for JavaScript that's used to create React components.
https://www.gatsbyjs.com/docs/glossary/jsx/ -
Content collections Yes verified 2026-07-10
APIs for querying your data (PageQuery, StaticQuery, Fragments) and specifying your GraphQL schema (schema customization).
https://www.gatsbyjs.com/docs/reference/graphql-data-layer/ -
Image optimization Yes verified 2026-07-10
can shave up to 300ms off of frontend page load times and as a result improve your lighthouse scores
https://www.gatsbyjs.com/docs/how-to/images-and-media/using-gatsby-plugin-image/ -
i18n support Yes verified 2026-07-10
gatsby-plugin-i18n – Creates language-specific routes using a naming convention (e.g., about.en.js → /en/about)
https://www.gatsbyjs.com/docs/how-to/adding-common-features/localization-i18n/ -
Plugin ecosystem Yes verified 2026-07-10
Welcome to the Gatsby Plugin Library: Add functionality and customize your Gatsby site or app with thousands of plugins built by our amazing developer community.
https://www.gatsbyjs.com/plugins/ -
Markdown / MDX Yes verified 2026-07-10
Gatsby can use markdown files to create pages in your site. You add plugins to read and understand folders with markdown files and from them create pages automatically.
https://www.gatsbyjs.com/docs/how-to/routing/adding-markdown-pages/ -
Partial hydration / islands Partial verified 2026-07-10
Gatsby Partial Hydration, an experimental feature for three years now, is known to be incompatible with React 19 at this time.
https://github.com/gatsbyjs/gatsby/releases/tag/gatsby%405.16.0 -
CMS integrations Yes verified 2026-07-10
gatsby-source-contentful" plugin to pull content from Contentful into Gatsby sites."
The page recommends using the
https://www.gatsbyjs.com/docs/how-to/sourcing-data/sourcing-from-contentful/ -
Learning curve Partial verified 2026-07-10
Needs React + JSX + GraphQL together.
Gatsby and React use Babel to transpile JSX into browser-compatible JavaScript
https://www.gatsbyjs.com/docs/glossary/jsx/
FAQ
Yes. Eleventy, Astro and Jekyll have a free tier or are fully free. Free-tier limits in the comparison table are verified and dated.
Eleventy, Astro and Jekyll — every license claim links its source.