Initial decision to migrate my website from Wordpress to a Static Site Generation platform in January 2024 and the resaerch into the best tool for the job.
Orininally planned in Jan 2024, but only executed in August 2024.
Migrating your WordPress site to a static site generator like Hugo or Eleventy is a significant decision, especially if you’re focused on performance, security, and ease of maintenance. Both Hugo and Eleventy are popular choices in the static site generator space, but they cater to slightly different needs and preferences. Here’s a breakdown of the pros and cons of using Hugo and Eleventy for your site migration.
Hugo Static Website Generator
Pros:
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Speed and Performance:
- Build Speed: Hugo is known for its extremely fast build times, even for large sites with thousands of pages. This is one of Hugo’s most significant advantages, making it ideal for large-scale projects.
- Site Performance: As a static site generator, Hugo produces very efficient HTML, CSS, and JavaScript files, resulting in highly performant websites.
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Easy Setup and Use:
- Ease of Use: Hugo is relatively straightforward to set up and use, especially if you’re familiar with Go templates (though they have a bit of a learning curve).
- Documentation: Hugo has extensive documentation and a large community, making it easier to find help and resources.
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Feature-Rich:
- Built-in Features: Hugo comes with many built-in features, such as taxonomies, content organisation, shortcodes, and multilingual support. This reduces the need for additional plugins or extensive configuration.
- Themes and Plugins: There are many themes and plugins available, which can help speed up the development process.
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SEO Friendly:
- SEO Tools: Hugo provides good SEO tools out of the box, including options for handling metadata, creating sitemaps, and controlling URL structures.
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Content Management:
- Markdown Support: Hugo uses Markdown for content creation, making it easy to write and manage content without needing a complex CMS.
Cons:
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Learning Curve:
- Go Templates: While powerful, Hugo’s templating system based on Go templates can be challenging to learn for those unfamiliar with the Go language.
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Less Flexibility with Customisation:
- Tightly Coupled Structure: Hugo’s structure and templates can feel rigid compared to some other static site generators, limiting flexibility in how you build and structure your site.
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Community and Ecosystem:
- Smaller Ecosystem: While Hugo has a strong community, it is not as large or as diverse as some other tools like Eleventy or Jekyll, which can limit the availability of third-party plugins or themes.
Eleventy (11ty) Site Generator
Pros:
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Flexibility and Customisation:
- Flexible Templating: Eleventy is highly flexible and supports multiple templating languages, including Nunjucks, Liquid, JavaScript, and Markdown. This makes it easy to pick a syntax that you’re comfortable with.
- Customisation: Eleventy gives you more control over the structure and configuration of your site, allowing for a highly customised site-building experience.
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Modern JavaScript Ecosystem:
- JavaScript Integration: As Eleventy is built on JavaScript, it integrates well with modern JavaScript tools and workflows, making it easier to work with if you’re familiar with JavaScript.
- Node.js Ecosystem: Eleventy benefits from the broader Node.js ecosystem, allowing you to leverage npm packages and modern JavaScript features.
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Incremental Adoption:
- Progressive Migration: Eleventy allows you to migrate incrementally, making it easier to transition a large or complex site to a static generator without a complete overhaul.
- Existing Site Integration: Eleventy can work alongside existing content and site structures, making it ideal for projects that involve partial migrations or hybrid approaches.
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Community and Ecosystem:
- Growing Community: Eleventy has a growing and vibrant community, with many developers contributing plugins, starters, and themes.
- Lightweight and Minimalistic: Eleventy is designed to be minimalistic, which can be an advantage for those who prefer a lightweight, unopinionated framework.
Cons:
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Build Performance:
- Build Speed: Eleventy’s build times can be slower compared to Hugo, particularly for very large sites with many pages or complex templates.
- Optimisation Required: While Eleventy is fast for smaller sites, optimisation might be needed as your site grows in complexity and size.
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Setup Complexity:
- Configuration Overhead: Eleventy’s flexibility can lead to more complex configurations and setup processes, particularly for users who are new to static site generators.
- Lack of Opinionation: The unopinionated nature of Eleventy means you have to make more decisions about structure and tooling, which can be daunting for new users.
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Content Management:
- No Built-In CMS: Unlike Hugo, Eleventy doesn’t come with built-in content management features, meaning you’ll likely need to integrate it with a headless CMS or manually manage content.
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Documentation:
- Less Extensive Documentation: While Eleventy’s documentation is good, it’s not as extensive as Hugo’s, which can make it harder to find solutions or get started.
Summary and Recommendation
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Choose Hugo if: You prioritise speed and performance, need a site generator with strong built-in features, and are working with a larger site. Hugo is especially suited for projects where fast build times and a strong community with good documentation are critical.
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Choose Eleventy if: You value flexibility and customisation, are comfortable working with JavaScript, and want the ability to progressively migrate your site. Eleventy is ideal for developers who want to leverage modern JavaScript practices and have fine-grained control over their site’s structure and build process.
Ultimately, the choice between Hugo and Eleventy depends on your specific needs, technical comfort, and the nature of the project. Both are excellent static site generators, but they cater to different preferences and use cases.