Gridea vs Jekyll
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 desktop app for writing Markdown posts that publish to a static blog.
Open source · MIT
A Ruby tool that turns Markdown and templates into a static website, with blog support.
The short answer
Choose Gridea if you need…
- Bloggers who want to own their content as plain static files
- People who prefer writing in Markdown on a desktop app
- Writers who want to sync their blog source folder through OneDrive, iCloud or Dropbox
- Users who want to add Gitalk or DisqusJS comments to a static blog
Choose Jekyll if you need…
- Developers who want a blog or simple website built from plain text files
- People comfortable with Ruby tooling and the command line
- Writers who prefer Markdown and want static HTML output
- Projects that need hosting without a database or server-side code
Side-by-side
| Gridea | Jekyll | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | App | Dev tool |
| Price | Free and open source | Free and open source |
| Licence | MIT | MIT |
| GitHub stars | 10.2k | 51.7k |
| Setup difficulty | Beginner | Intermediate |
| How you get it | Download the app | Install with a package manager |
| Main language | TypeScript | Ruby |
| Last code update | 3 years ago | 23 days ago |
What each one is
Gridea
Gridea is a desktop writing app for people who want a blog without running a database or server. You write posts in a Markdown editor, add images and labels, and the app generates a static website you can host on platforms such as GitHub Pages. It runs on Windows, macOS and Linux, and is built with Electron, Vue and TypeScript.
Jekyll
Jekyll is a static site generator written in Ruby. You write content in files such as Markdown, combine it with templates, and it builds a folder of plain HTML pages that can be hosted anywhere. The description calls it blog-aware, and its topics include blog engine and Liquid templating. The README was not included in full, so details beyond the metadata are limited.
Best for
Gridea
- Bloggers who want to own their content as plain static files
- People who prefer writing in Markdown on a desktop app
- Writers who want to sync their blog source folder through OneDrive, iCloud or Dropbox
- Users who want to add Gitalk or DisqusJS comments to a static blog
Jekyll
- Developers who want a blog or simple website built from plain text files
- People comfortable with Ruby tooling and the command line
- Writers who prefer Markdown and want static HTML output
- Projects that need hosting without a database or server-side code
Strengths
Gridea
- Writes in Markdown and generates a static site, so the output is simple files
- Available on Windows, macOS and Linux with an interface in several languages
- MIT licensed and open source
Jekyll
- Widely used open-source project with a large community (about 51,700 stars)
- Released under the permissive MIT license
- Produces plain static files that are simple to host and hard to break
Not ideal for
Gridea
- People who want a hosted blog with no setup, since the README describes publishing to static hosts like GitHub Pages
- Users who need a mobile or web-only editor, because the README only lists desktop platforms
- Teams needing collaborative editing, which the README does not mention
Jekyll
- Non-technical users who need a point-and-click site builder, since setup requires Ruby and the command line
- Sites that need dynamic features like user accounts or live database queries, since output is static files
- Teams that want a hosted service rather than running a build tool themselves
Trade-offs
Gridea
- The README itself says the project is young and has shortcomings
- Last push in the metadata is July 2023, so recent maintenance is unclear
- Setup for development requires Node.js and yarn, and the README gives little detail on publishing steps
Jekyll
- Requires a Ruby environment, which adds setup work for non-developers
- README content was truncated, so detailed feature coverage could not be verified here
Getting started
Gridea
Download a prebuilt release from the releases page
https://github.com/getgridea/gridea/releasesJekyll
Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/jekyll/jekyllFrequently asked questions
What is the difference between Gridea and Jekyll?
Gridea: A desktop app for writing Markdown posts that publish to a static blog. Jekyll: A Ruby tool that turns Markdown and templates into a static website, with blog support. Gridea suits bloggers who want to own their content as plain static files, while Jekyll suits developers who want a blog or simple website built from plain text files.
Are Gridea and Jekyll free?
Gridea: Free and open source. Jekyll: Free and open source.
Which is easier to set up, Gridea or Jekyll?
Gridea is easier to get started with (rated beginner); Jekyll is rated intermediate and usually needs more setup.
Is Gridea or Jekyll more popular?
Jekyll has more GitHub stars (51.7k) than Gridea (10.2k). Popularity isn't the same as fit — check which one matches your use case above.
What are other alternatives to Gridea and Jekyll?
Other options people compare them with include Hexo, Decap CMS, Vuestic Admin, PicGo, ZY Player.
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.