Gatsby
A React-based framework for building fast websites and apps, with static or server rendering.
- Stars
- 55.9k
- Forks
- 10.1k
- Licence
- MIT
- Language
- JavaScript
- Last update
- 17 days ago
- Type
- Framework
What it is
Gatsby is a free, open-source framework built on React for making websites and web apps. It pulls data from sources such as Markdown files, headless CMSs, or REST and GraphQL APIs, then builds pages that load quickly. The README says it automates tasks like code splitting, image optimization, and lazy-loading.
- Build a blog from Markdown files using the starter project
- Pull content from a headless CMS such as Contentful or WordPress into a React site
- Create an e-commerce or user dashboard app with per-page rendering choices
- Deploy a generated site to a CDN such as Netlify
Great for
- Developers building content-heavy sites such as blogs or documentation
- Teams that already work with React and want a shared GraphQL data layer
- Projects that need a mix of static, deferred, and server-rendered pages
- Anyone who wants a site hosted on a CDN without running servers
Not ideal for
- Beginners with no React or JavaScript experience, since the README assumes developer skills
- Very simple static pages, where a plain HTML generator may be less work
- Teams that need to avoid learning GraphQL and a plugin-based data pipeline
How to get it
- 1
Install with a package manager
You'll need: Node.js
Initialize a new project
npm init gatsbyStart the site in develop mode
cd my-gatsby-site/ && npm run develop - 2
Run it
- Run npm init gatsby and name the project
- Move into the new site directory
- Run npm run develop
- Open http://localhost:8000 and edit src/pages/index.js
- 3
Get the most out of it
- Use source plugins to load data from Markdown, CMSs, or APIs into the GraphQL layer
- Choose DSG or SSR on individual pages when a page needs fresh data
- Use the official starters as a base for new projects
- Follow the migration guides if you are upgrading from v4 or earlier
Downloads
Strengths
- The README lists built-in performance features such as code splitting and image optimization
- It supports static, deferred static, and server-side rendering on a per-page basis
- It has a large plugin and starter ecosystem and an active community
Trade-offs
- The README does not describe the learning curve in detail, and it assumes React and GraphQL knowledge
- Its feature set and plugin model add complexity compared with simpler site generators
- The README is truncated, so details about the security claims in the description are not verified here
How it compares
| Project | Stars | Type | Level | Updated | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| gatsby (this) | 55.9k | Framework | intermediate | 17 days ago | Developers building content-heavy sites such as blogs or documentation |
| next.js | 143k | Framework | intermediate | 4 days ago | Developers already comfortable with React who want a full framework around it |
| hexo | 41.8k | Framework | intermediate | 10 days ago | Bloggers who want a fast static site they fully control |
| refine | 36k | Framework | intermediate | 2 months ago | Developers building internal admin panels or back-office tools in React |
| nextra | 13.9k | Framework | intermediate | 3 months ago | Developers who want a documentation site built on Next.js and React |
| webpack | 66k | Dev tool | intermediate | 4 days ago | Frontend developers building single-page or multi-page web apps |
Stats synced from GitHub. The assessment above was drafted with AI from the project's README on 2026-10-29 and may miss recent changes — check the README before relying on a command. MIT licence: free to use, modify and distribute, including commercially, as long as you keep the copyright notice.