Top 10 Static Site Generators for Portfolio-Building Developers in 2027
By Kory White · Updated Nov 2026 · 6 min read
Direct answer
Hugo is the top static site generator for building a developer portfolio in our scoring: it is free under the Apache 2.0 License, its introduction lists image portfolios, resumes and CVs, 52 themes on the Hugo themes site carry the portfolio tag, and v0.169.0 was published on October 27, 2026. Astro is #2 and Next.js static export is #3. All facts come from each project's own site and repository, read on November 4, 2026.
Pelican is licensed AGPL-3.0 in its GitHub repository; the site lists no price (read November 4, 2026)
Python developers who want a blog-first generator with import from WordPress
Pick by what you want
Best overall
Hugo
Best content-first framework
Astro
Best for React developers
Next.js Static Export
Best minimal setup
Eleventy
Best free GitHub Pages hosting
Jekyll
The ranking
1
Hugo
Answrs VerdictFree, openly licensed, current release, and the most portfolio themes of any generator here.
Price and license: Free; the home page says Hugo is open source and free to use, distributed under the Apache 2.0 License (vendor-stated, read November 4, 2026)Portfolio use: The introduction page lists image portfolios, resumes and CVs, and personal blogs among the sites Hugo is widely used to createPortfolio themes: The Hugo themes site tags 52 themes as portfolio; one of them, Hugo Profile, is described as a template for a personal portfolio and blog and is MIT licensedGitHub stars: The Hugo repository showed 90,363 stars when the GitHub API was read on November 4, 2026Latest release: Hugo v0.169.0 was published on October 27, 2026, as read from the GitHub releases API on November 4, 2026
Hugo is free and open source under the Apache 2.0 License. Its introduction names image portfolios, resumes and CVs among the sites it builds, and the Hugo themes site tags 52 themes as portfolio, including the MIT-licensed Hugo Profile. The repository showed 90,363 stars on November 4, 2026, and v0.169.0 was published on October 27, 2026.
Go ifDevelopers who want a single fast binary and the largest set of portfolio-tagged themes
Skip ifYou want to build the site with React or Vue components
Why #1 over #2: It has a stated portfolio use and 52 portfolio-tagged themes, where Astro points to a general themes directory.
2
Astro
Answrs VerdictContent-focused, MIT licensed and actively released, with a built-in themes directory.
Price and license: Astro is open source under the MIT License (the site footer reads MIT License); the pages read list no price for the framework (read November 4, 2026)Portfolio use: The Why Astro page says Astro was designed for content-rich websites including blogs, portfolios and landing pagesThemes: The Astro themes page offers themes as a starting point, with each listing marked Paid or freeGitHub stars: The Astro repository showed 63,723 stars when the GitHub API was read on November 4, 2026Current version: The home page announces Astro 7.4 as available now
Astro is MIT licensed and its Why Astro page names portfolios among the content-rich sites it was designed for. The themes page offers themes marked Paid or free, the home page announces Astro 7.4, and the repository showed 63,723 stars on November 4, 2026.
Go ifDevelopers who want a content-first framework that also lets them reuse React, Vue or Svelte components
Skip ifYou want a single dependency-free binary with no Node.js toolchain
Why #2 over #3: It names portfolios as a design target and ships a themes page, where Next.js treats static export as one mode.
3
Next.js Static Export
Answrs VerdictLargest community here and a ready portfolio template, but static export is a mode, not its main purpose.
Price and license: Next.js is MIT licensed in its GitHub repository; the static export guide lists no fee (read November 4, 2026)Static output: With output set to export, running next build generates an HTML file per route, which can be hosted on any web server that serves HTML, CSS and JSPortfolio template: Vercel lists a Portfolio Starter Kit described as a way to easily create a portfolio with Next.js and Markdown, with Portfolio and Blog use cases and a Tailwind stackGitHub stars: The Next.js repository showed 143,290 stars when the GitHub API was read on November 4, 2026Latest release: Next.js v16.4.5 was published on November 3, 2026, as read from the GitHub releases API on November 4, 2026
Next.js is MIT licensed, and setting output to export makes next build generate an HTML file per route that any static host can serve. Vercel lists a Portfolio Starter Kit built with Next.js and Markdown on a Tailwind stack. The repository showed 143,290 stars, the most here, and v16.4.5 was published on November 3, 2026.
Go ifReact developers who want a portfolio that can later add server features
Skip ifYou want a generator built only for static sites
Why #3 over #4: It has the largest community and an official portfolio template, where Eleventy has a smaller starter list.
4
Eleventy
Answrs VerdictSimple, MIT licensed and freshly released, with a smaller theme catalog than the leaders.
Price and license: Eleventy is MIT licensed in its GitHub repository; the site lists no price for it (read November 4, 2026)Setup: The site says Eleventy is zero-config to start, works with multiple template languages, and does not track you or use telemetryStarter projects: The Starter Projects page lists official starters, including eleventy-base-blog, plus community startersGitHub stars: The Eleventy repository showed 20,015 stars when the GitHub API was read on November 4, 2026Latest release: Eleventy v3.1.8 was published on November 3, 2026, as read from the GitHub releases API on November 4, 2026
Eleventy is MIT licensed, zero-config to start and works with several template languages. The site says it does not track you and lists official starters such as eleventy-base-blog. The repository showed 20,015 stars on November 4, 2026, and v3.1.8 was published on November 3, 2026.
Go ifDevelopers who want a minimal setup and the freedom to pick their own template language
Skip ifYou want a large catalog of ready-made portfolio themes
Why #4 over #5: It has a fresh release and official starters, where the latest Jekyll release read is from January 2025.
5
Jekyll
Answrs VerdictFree hosting path, but the latest tagged release read is from January 2025.
Price and license: Free hosting path and open source; the site contents are under the MIT License, and the repository is MIT licensed (read November 4, 2026)Free hosting: The site says GitHub Pages is powered by Jekyll, so you can deploy using GitHub for free, custom domain name and allShowcase: The Showcase page lists company websites built with Jekyll, including Ruby on Rails, Sketch and Spotify for DevelopersGitHub stars: The Jekyll repository showed 51,745 stars when the GitHub API was read on November 4, 2026Latest release: Jekyll v4.4.1 was published on January 29, 2025, as read from the GitHub releases API on November 4, 2026
Jekyll is MIT licensed and powers GitHub Pages, so a portfolio can deploy from GitHub for free with a custom domain. Its Showcase page lists company sites built with it. The repository showed 51,745 stars, but the latest release read is v4.4.1 from January 29, 2025.
Go ifDevelopers who want free portfolio hosting on GitHub Pages with a blog-aware generator
Skip ifYou want frequent tagged releases
Why #5 over #6: It offers a free GitHub hosting path, where Zola names a smaller theme list.
6
Zola
Answrs VerdictNo-dependency binary with portfolio themes, but a smaller ecosystem and EUPL licensing.
Price and license: Zola is licensed EUPL-1.2 in its GitHub repository; the site lists no price (read November 4, 2026)Single binary: The site says Zola is a single executable with Sass compilation and syntax highlighting, with no dependenciesPortfolio theme: The zallery theme is described as a gallery and portfolio theme for Zola, MIT licensed, with a live demoGitHub stars: The Zola repository showed 17,578 stars when the GitHub API was read on November 4, 2026Latest release: Zola v0.23.6 was published on September 12, 2026, as read from the GitHub releases API on November 4, 2026
Zola is a single executable with Sass compilation and syntax highlighting and no dependencies. It is licensed EUPL-1.2, v0.23.6 was published on September 12, 2026, and its themes directory includes zallery, a gallery and portfolio theme with a live demo. The repository showed 17,578 stars.
Go ifDevelopers who like Hugo-style single binaries and want a Rust-based alternative
Skip ifYou need a permissive license such as MIT or Apache
Why #6 over #7: It lists a portfolio theme and recent releases, where SvelteKit lists no themes.
7
SvelteKit Static Adapter
Answrs VerdictClean static output through one adapter, but no theme catalog in the pages read.
Price and license: SvelteKit is MIT licensed in its GitHub repository; the docs list no fee (read November 4, 2026)Static output: The docs say to use adapter-static to use SvelteKit as a static site generator, which prerenders the entire site as a collection of static filesMixed rendering: The docs say that to prerender only some pages and server-render others, you need a different adapter together with the prerender optionGitHub stars: The SvelteKit repository showed 20,898 stars when the GitHub API was read on November 4, 2026Repository activity: The SvelteKit repository was last pushed to on November 4, 2026, as read from the GitHub API on November 4, 2026
SvelteKit becomes a static site generator with adapter-static, which prerenders the entire site as static files. It is MIT licensed, the repository showed 20,898 stars, and it was last pushed to on November 4, 2026. The docs say mixing static and server-rendered pages needs a different adapter.
Go ifSvelte developers who want a portfolio built with the same framework they use for apps
Skip ifYou want ready-made portfolio themes
Why #7 over #8: It is actively pushed and documents its static output, where the latest Gatsby release read is from February 2026.
8
Gatsby
Answrs VerdictLarge starter library and an open-source license, but the latest release read is from February 2026.
Price and license: Gatsby is MIT licensed in its GitHub repository; the home page calls it an open-source React-based framework (read November 4, 2026)Starters: The Starter Library has a Portfolio category that includes LekoArts/gatsby-starter-portfolio-caraCompany notice: The home page carries a banner announcing that Gatsby Cloud customers are being offered migration paths to another hosting platformGitHub stars: The Gatsby repository showed 55,920 stars when the GitHub API was read on November 4, 2026Latest release: gatsby@5.16.1 was published on February 10, 2026, as read from the GitHub releases API on November 4, 2026
Gatsby is MIT licensed and its Starter Library has a Portfolio category that includes gatsby-starter-portfolio-cara. The home page carries a notice that Gatsby Cloud customers are being offered migration paths to another hosting platform. The repository showed 55,920 stars, and gatsby@5.16.1 was published on February 10, 2026.
Go ifReact developers who want a portfolio starter and a GraphQL data layer
Skip ifYou need frequent releases
Why #8 over #9: It has a portfolio starter category and many stars, where VuePress is still a release candidate.
9
VuePress
Answrs VerdictVue-powered and maintained, but still a release candidate and the smallest community here.
Price and license: VuePress is MIT licensed in its GitHub repository; the site lists no fee (read November 4, 2026)Scope: The introduction says VuePress is a markdown-centered static site generator for documentation, blogs and other static sites, powered by VueVersion: The site header shows version v2.0.0-rc.26, a release candidateGitHub stars: The VuePress repository showed 2,837 stars when the GitHub API was read on November 4, 2026Repository activity: The VuePress repository was last pushed to on October 22, 2026, as read from the GitHub API on November 4, 2026
VuePress is a markdown-centered static site generator powered by Vue and is MIT licensed. The site header shows v2.0.0-rc.26, a release candidate, and the repository showed 2,837 stars and a push on October 22, 2026. It suits documentation-style portfolios.
Go ifVue developers who want Markdown plus Vue components in a documentation-style portfolio
Skip ifYou want a stable, non-release-candidate version
Why #9 over #10: It is MIT licensed and Vue-powered, where Pelican is AGPL-3.0.
10
Pelican
Answrs VerdictSolid for Python users, but AGPL licensing and no portfolio-focused catalog in the pages read.
Price and license: Pelican is licensed AGPL-3.0 in its GitHub repository; the site lists no price (read November 4, 2026)Features: The site says content is written in reStructuredText or Markdown, themes use Jinja2 templates, and content can be imported from WordPress, Dotclear or RSS feedsLanguage: The site calls Pelican a static site generator powered by Python that needs no database or server-side logicGitHub stars: The Pelican repository showed 13,364 stars when the GitHub API was read on November 4, 2026Latest release: Pelican 4.12.0 was published on April 20, 2026, as read from the GitHub releases API on November 4, 2026
Pelican is a Python static site generator that takes reStructuredText or Markdown, uses Jinja2 themes and can import content from WordPress, Dotclear or RSS feeds. It is licensed AGPL-3.0, the repository showed 13,364 stars, and 4.12.0 was published on April 20, 2026.
Go ifPython developers who want a blog-first generator with import from WordPress
Skip ifYou need a permissive license or a portfolio theme catalog
How we ranked these
This list covers ten static site generators a developer could use to build a portfolio site. Each was scored with the same rubric from its own site and GitHub repository, read on November 4, 2026: portfolio fit shown by named themes, starters or stated portfolio use (30 points), release or commit activity visible in the repository (25), license and price clarity (20), documented static output (15) and the size of the starter or theme catalog (10). The weights and the order are our judgment from the pages read, not project data. No pick was adjusted for any company, and projects backed by companies were scored the same as volunteer projects. GitHub star counts and release dates are as read from the GitHub API on the date above and change daily. We did not build a site with each generator, and no build-speed figure here is independently measured. Docusaurus, Nuxt, Docsify, Hexo and Bridgetown were not scored in this edition. Facts are taken from each maker's own published information; check the official site before you buy.
Questions people ask
What is the best static site generator for a developer portfolio in 2027?
Hugo ranks first here: it is free under the Apache 2.0 License, its introduction lists image portfolios, resumes and CVs, the Hugo themes site tags 52 themes as portfolio, and v0.169.0 was published on October 27, 2026. Astro is #2 and Next.js static export is #3.
Which static site generator can host my portfolio for free?
Jekyll is described as powering GitHub Pages, so you can deploy with GitHub for free with a custom domain. Hugo is itself open source and free to use under the Apache 2.0 License.
Which generators have ready-made portfolio themes or starters?
The Hugo themes site tags 52 portfolio themes, Gatsby has a Portfolio category in its Starter Library, Vercel lists a Next.js Portfolio Starter Kit, and Zola lists the zallery gallery and portfolio theme.
Which of these generators are single binaries or run on other languages?
Zola is described as a single executable with no dependencies, Pelican is powered by Python, and Hugo is written in Go.
GitHub repository stars, as shown by the GitHub API on November 4, 2026 at a glance
VuePress2,837 GitHub stars
Pelican13,364 GitHub stars
Zola17,578 GitHub stars
Eleventy20,015 GitHub stars
SvelteKit20,898 GitHub stars
Jekyll51,745 GitHub stars
Gatsby55,920 GitHub stars
Astro63,723 GitHub stars
Hugo90,363 GitHub stars
Next.js143,290 GitHub stars
GitHub repository stars, as shown by the GitHub API on November 4, 2026, as published by each maker. Picks without a published figure are left off.
