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Static site generator · by Font Awesome

Eleventy (Build Awesome)

Simple, fast JavaScript static site generator that injects no markup of its own and supports a dozen template languages; renamed Build Awesome in March 2026 under Font Awesome.

Visit 11ty.dev ↗ Alternatives Open source Open source Self-hostable
Eleventy (Build Awesome) homepage
§1

Overview

Eleventy is a static site generator that has shipped since December 2017. It compiles files in many template languages (HTML, Markdown, MDX, Nunjucks, Liquid, WebC, JavaScript, JSX, TypeScript, Handlebars, Pug and more) into an output folder of plain HTML. It does not add its own markup or client JavaScript, and its data cascade lets front matter, directory data files and global data feed templates. Official plugins cover images, RSS, i18n, syntax highlighting and navigation.

The project is known for durability: its homepage says only three of its 226 releases required Eleventy-specific changes from developers, and upgrades are guided by an Upgrade Helper plugin. Its benchmark shows it building 4,000 Markdown files faster than Astro, Gatsby or Next.js.

Eleventy joined Font Awesome in September 2024. On 3 March 2026 it was renamed Build Awesome: Eleventy v4 becomes Build Awesome v4 (published as @awesome.me/buildawesome as well as @11ty/eleventy), existing plugins and build commands stay compatible, and Zach Leatherman continues to lead it. A Build Awesome Pro product for publishing and collaborative editing was launched through Kickstarter in April 2026. Current stable is v3; v4 was in alpha at the time of writing.

§2

Pricing and plans

Eleventy / Build Awesome is free and MIT-licensed. Build Awesome Pro, a paid add-on for easier publishing and in-browser editing, was funded by a Kickstarter in 2026; we found no published subscription price on 11ty.dev, so none is listed. The project says Pro will not be required to use Build Awesome.

Source: www.11ty.dev/ · prices as published, excluding tax.

§3

What it does

Many template languages
Markdown, Nunjucks, Liquid, WebC, JavaScript, JSX, TypeScript, Handlebars, Pug, HAML, EJS and custom languages.
Data cascade
Front matter, template and directory data files, global data and computed data merge predictably.
Zero client JavaScript by default
Outputs only what your templates produce.
Official plugins
Image optimisation, RSS, i18n, syntax highlighting, navigation, bundling and more.
Incremental builds
Dev server with incremental rebuilds; optional Vite integration.
§4

Strengths and limitations

Strengths

  • Very fast builds for large Markdown sites.
  • Long record of low-friction major upgrades.
  • Full control of output HTML with no framework runtime.
  • Now funded by a company (Font Awesome) with a stated plan to keep the core open source.

Limitations

  • Static output only; per-request rendering needs another tool or serverless functions.
  • No built-in component framework or client-side routing; interactivity is up to you.
  • The rename to Build Awesome means new package names and documentation in transition; v4 is still pre-release.
  • v4 raises the minimum Node.js version to 22.15+ (per the v4 alpha release notes).
§5

Who it suits

Good for

  • Blogs, documentation and personal sites
  • Large content sites that need fast builds
  • Developers who want plain HTML output

Look elsewhere if

  • Interactive web apps
  • Teams that want a React- or Vue-based component model
§6

Pricing history

  • Eleventy renamed Build Awesome

    Announced 3 March 2026: Eleventy v4 will ship as Build Awesome v4 under Font Awesome, staying MIT-licensed and compatible with Eleventy plugins; a paid, optional Build Awesome Pro followed via Kickstarter in April 2026. Source ↗

§7

Alternatives to Eleventy (Build Awesome)

Tool From Free option Stages
Starlight Documentation theme for Astro
— Open source
SvelteKit Full-stack Svelte framework
— Open source
Hugo Static site generator (Go)
— Open source
VitePress Static site generator (Vue, Vite)
— Open source
React UI library
— Open source
Vue Progressive UI framework
— Open source

All frontend and full-stack frameworks →

§8

Questions

Is Eleventy now called Build Awesome?

Yes. On 3 March 2026 the project announced Eleventy v4 will be Build Awesome v4, with compatibility for existing Eleventy plugins and commands.

Is Eleventy still free?

Yes. The open-source core stays MIT-licensed; an optional paid Build Awesome Pro is planned and not required.

What template languages does Eleventy support?

HTML, Markdown, MDX, JavaScript, JSX, TypeScript, WebC, Nunjucks, Liquid, Handlebars, Mustache, EJS, HAML, Pug and custom languages.

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