Jekyll
Jekyll is a powerful static site generator for building simple, blog-aware, static websites. It takes your content written in Markdown and Liquid, processes it, and generates a ready-to-deploy static website, eliminating the need for databases or complex servers. Developed by Tom Preston-Werner, Nick Quaranto
About Jekyll
Jekyll empowers developers and content creators to build fast, secure, and easily maintainable websites directly from plain text files. By leveraging Markdown for content and Liquid for templating, Jekyll transforms your source files into a complete static site, perfect for blogs, portfolios, and documentation.
Key advantages include:
- Simplicity and Speed: Static sites are inherently faster and more secure than dynamic sites powered by databases. Jekyll removes the complexity, offering a streamlined publishing workflow.
- Version Control Friendly: Since all content and configuration are stored in simple text files, Jekyll projects integrate seamlessly with version control systems like Git, making collaboration and tracking changes effortless.
- Lower Hosting Costs: Static websites can be hosted on incredibly affordable and efficient platforms, often even for free, as they only require a basic web server.
- Offline Development: Build and preview your entire website on your local machine without needing a constant internet connection.
- Extensibility: While simple at its core, Jekyll's plugin API allows for customization and extending its functionality to meet specific project needs.
Whether you're a seasoned developer or a blogger looking for a more robust platform, Jekyll offers a compelling alternative to traditional content management systems.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Excellent website performance and speed.
- Enhanced security due to static nature.
- Version control friendly with text-based files.
- Cost-effective and easy hosting options.
- Intuitive content creation with Markdown.
- Highly customizable through themes and plugins.
Cons
- Requires command-line familiarity.
- Steeper learning curve for beginners.
- No built-in visual editor.
- Plugin development requires Ruby knowledge.
What Makes Jekyll Stand Out
Simplicity of Static Sites
Offers the benefits of static websites including speed, security, and reliability without the complexity of dynamic systems.
Developer-Friendly Workflow
Designed for developers with a command-line interface and integration with version control.
Cost-Effective Hosting
Enables deployment on inexpensive and highly scalable static hosting platforms.
What can Jekyll do?
Review
Jekyll Software Review
Jekyll stands out as a premier static site generator, offering a compelling alternative to traditional content management systems for users who prioritize speed, security, and simplicity. At its core, Jekyll takes your content written in Markdown and seamlessly transforms it into a complete, ready-to-deploy static website. This approach eliminates the need for databases, dynamic scripting languages, and complex server configurations often associated with platforms like WordPress or Drupal.
The workflow with Jekyll is straightforward and developer-friendly. Users create their content in plain text files using Markdown, structure their site with directories and files, and utilize the Liquid templating language for layouts and dynamic elements. Once the content and structure are in place, a simple command line command processes these files, generating a static HTML website in the designated output directory. This generated site can then be uploaded and served by any standard web server, including Apache, Nginx, or specialized static hosting providers.
One of Jekyll's most significant advantages is its performance. Static websites are inherently faster because the server doesn't need to process requests dynamically; it simply serves pre-generated HTML files. This leads to quicker loading times and a better user experience. Furthermore, the absence of a database and server-side scripting significantly enhances security, reducing the attack surface compared to dynamic sites that are often targets for exploits.
Jekyll is particularly well-suited for blogs, documentation sites, portfolios, and simple marketing websites. Its built-in support for blogging features like posts, categories, tags, and configurable permalinks makes it a strong contender for individuals and organizations looking for a performant and secure blogging platform. The use of Markdown for content creation is a major boon for writers, offering a clean and intuitive way to format articles and pages without the distractions of a visual editor.
Customization is a key strength of Jekyll. Users have complete control over their website's appearance and structure through themes, layouts, and the comprehensive Liquid templating language. The availability of numerous pre-built themes and the ease of creating custom ones allow for significant flexibility in design. For more advanced functionality, Jekyll's plugin API enables developers to extend its capabilities, although this does require some understanding of Ruby.
While Jekyll offers many benefits, it's important to acknowledge its target audience and limitations. It is primarily geared towards users who are comfortable with the command line and a text-based workflow. Users who prefer a visual interface for content creation and site management may find the transition challenging. The initial setup and understanding of Jekyll's directory structure and configuration can require some learning curve, especially for those new to static site generators.
Collaboration on Jekyll projects is facilitated by its integration with version control systems. Since the entire website is represented by text files, using Git for tracking changes, branches, and merging is seamless. This is a significant advantage for teams working on a website or for individual users who want to maintain a history of their site's evolution.
Hosting a Jekyll site is also incredibly cost-efficient. Static websites can be hosted on various platforms, including GitHub Pages, GitLab Pages, and services like Netlify or Vercel, many of which offer free tiers for static sites. This makes Jekyll an attractive option for individuals and small projects with limited budgets.
In conclusion, Jekyll provides a robust, performant, and secure platform for building static websites. Its emphasis on simplicity, speed, and a developer-centric workflow makes it an excellent choice for a wide range of projects. While it requires a certain level of technical comfort, the benefits in terms of performance, security, and cost-effectiveness are substantial. For those seeking a powerful and flexible static site generator, Jekyll is highly recommended.
Similar Software
blogstrap.py is a simple Blog using web.py and bootstrap3.
Ghost is an open source publishing platform which is beautifully designed, easy to use, and free for everyone.
Hugo is a framework for building websites.
Octopress is an obsessively designed toolkit for writing and deploying Jekyll blogs.
postach.io turns an Evernote notebook into a blog or website.
Ucraft is a free website builder.
Umbraco is an open source content management system (CMS) platform.
Screenshots
Help others by voting if you like this software.
Compare with Similar Apps
Select any similar app below to compare it with Jekyll side by side.
