Eleventy vs VuePress
Which should you use? A side-by-side look at what each one does, who it suits, what it costs, how hard it is to set up, and where each falls short.
Open source · MIT
A simple static site generator that turns folders of templates into HTML pages.
Open source · MIT
A minimal static site generator for docs and blogs, built on Vue (v1, now in maintenance mode).
The short answer
Choose Eleventy if you need…
- Developers who want a static site generator with a lighter setup than Jekyll
- People who already write Markdown or HTML templates and want them turned into a website
- JavaScript developers comfortable working with npm and Node.js projects
- Bloggers or documentation writers who want plain HTML output
Choose VuePress if you need…
- Developers with an existing VuePress v1 documentation site who need to keep it running
- Teams already comfortable with Vue who want a simple Markdown-to-site tool
- People maintaining a project that already uses VuePress v1
Side-by-side
| Eleventy | VuePress | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Dev tool | Dev tool |
| Price | Free and open source | Free and open source |
| Licence | MIT | MIT |
| GitHub stars | 20k | 22.7k |
| Setup difficulty | Intermediate | Intermediate |
| How you get it | Install with a package manager | Clone and build from source |
| Main language | JavaScript | JavaScript |
| Last code update | 5 days ago | 2 years ago |
What each one is
Eleventy
Build Awesome (Eleventy) is a static site generator written in JavaScript. You give it a folder of templates in formats such as HTML, Markdown, Liquid or Nunjucks, and it produces plain HTML files that can be hosted anywhere. The README describes it as a simpler alternative to Jekyll, and says addons exist for formats like WebC, Sass, Vue, Svelte and TypeScript.
VuePress
VuePress is a tool that turns Markdown files into a static website, using Vue for the page templates. It is aimed mainly at documentation sites and blogs. The README says VuePress v1 is now in maintenance mode, and points to VitePress (officially supported by the Vue team) and VuePress v2+ (community supported) as the newer options.
Best for
Eleventy
- Developers who want a static site generator with a lighter setup than Jekyll
- People who already write Markdown or HTML templates and want them turned into a website
- JavaScript developers comfortable working with npm and Node.js projects
- Bloggers or documentation writers who want plain HTML output
VuePress
- Developers with an existing VuePress v1 documentation site who need to keep it running
- Teams already comfortable with Vue who want a simple Markdown-to-site tool
- People maintaining a project that already uses VuePress v1
Strengths
Eleventy
- Accepts several template languages, including HTML, Markdown, Liquid and Nunjucks
- Written in JavaScript and installable from npm
- Has an active test setup with CI and documentation linked from the README
VuePress
- Minimal and focused on turning Markdown into a static site
- Uses Vue, so customization can be done with familiar Vue concepts
- Released under the permissive MIT license
Not ideal for
Eleventy
- Non-developers who want a point-and-click website builder, since the project is driven by the command line and templates
- People who need a dynamic server-side application with a database, because this tool produces static HTML files
VuePress
- New projects: the README says v1 is in maintenance mode, so VitePress or VuePress v2+ is the better starting point
- Non-developers who want a no-code website builder, since it requires working with Node-based tooling
- Anyone needing active new feature development, since the README does not indicate ongoing feature work on v1
Trade-offs
Eleventy
- The README is truncated here, so setup details beyond npm install are not covered in this entry
- Many addons are needed for formats beyond the core languages, which adds setup work
- Requires comfort with the command line and Node.js tooling
VuePress
- v1 is in maintenance mode according to the README, so new features are unlikely
- The README offers little detail on setup for end users; most guidance is for contributors
- Newer alternatives (VitePress, VuePress v2+) are recommended by the project itself
Getting started
Eleventy
Install as a dev dependency
npm install @awesome.me/buildawesome --save-devVuePress
Install all dependencies (from a local checkout)
yarn installServe VuePress' own docs with itself
yarn devFrequently asked questions
What is the difference between Eleventy and VuePress?
Eleventy: A simple static site generator that turns folders of templates into HTML pages. VuePress: A minimal static site generator for docs and blogs, built on Vue (v1, now in maintenance mode). Eleventy suits developers who want a static site generator with a lighter setup than jekyll, while VuePress suits developers with an existing vuepress v1 documentation site who need to keep it running.
Are Eleventy and VuePress free?
Eleventy: Free and open source. VuePress: Free and open source.
Is Eleventy or VuePress more popular?
VuePress has more GitHub stars (22.7k) than Eleventy (20k). Popularity isn't the same as fit — check which one matches your use case above.
What are other alternatives to Eleventy and VuePress?
Other options people compare them with include Jekyll, docsify, VitePress, Docusaurus, Claude SEO.
Keep comparing
Built from our catalogue entries for both products: open-source details come from each project's README (AI-assisted, refreshed weekly) and GitHub data; AI-tool details are editorial. Spotted something wrong? Let us know from either product's page.