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Gatsby vs Hexo
Compare Gatsby and Hexo to find the best tool for your needs.
Gatsby
A React-based static site generator with powerful data layer and plugin ecosystem.
See all detailsVS
Hexo
A fast, simple & powerful blog framework powered by Node.js, popular in the developer community.
See all detailsQuick overview
Pricing
Free (open source), paid Gatsby Cloud services
Free (open source)
Pros & Cons
Gatsby
Pros
- React-based architecture
- GraphQL data layer
- Large plugin ecosystem
- Progressive image loading
Cons
- Requires React knowledge
- Steep learning curve
- Build time can be slow for large sites
- Complex for simple projects
Hexo
Pros
- Blazing fast generation
- Markdown support
- One-command deployment
- Extensive plugin system
Cons
- Less active community than some alternatives
- Documentation can be incomplete
- Limited themes for non-technical blogs
- Some plugins aren't maintained
Features comparison
| Feature | Gatsby | Hexo |
|---|---|---|
| Core Features | ||
| SEO | Yes Strong SEO support through gatsby-plugin-react-helmet and other official plugins | Via plugin Available through hexo-seo plugin or custom configuration |
| Sitemap | Via plugin Available through gatsby-plugin-sitemap | Via plugin Available through hexo-generator-sitemap |
| RSS Feed | Via plugin Available through gatsby-plugin-feed | Via plugin Available through hexo-generator-feed |
| Theming system | Yes Supports themes through gatsby-theme architecture with component shadowing | Yes Robust theming system with many available themes |
| Plugin system | Yes Extensive plugin ecosystem with thousands of plugins available | Yes Extensive plugin ecosystem with many available plugins |
| Content Management | ||
| Emoji | Via plugin Supported through gatsby-remark-emoji or other emoji plugins | Via plugin Support through hexo-filter-github-emojis or similar plugins |
| Image optimization | Yes Advanced image optimization with gatsby-plugin-sharp, gatsby-image, and built-in responsive images | Via plugin Available through hexo-filter-responsive-images or similar plugins |
| Taxonomies | Via GraphQL Custom taxonomies can be implemented through GraphQL queries and data structures | Partial Built-in support for categories and tags; custom taxonomies require additional configuration |
| Pagination | Via API Pagination available through createPage API and GraphQL queries | Yes Built-in pagination for post listings |
| Table of contents | Via plugin Supported through gatsby-remark-table-of-contents or similar plugins | Yes Built-in table of contents generation |
| Comments | Via integration Integration with Disqus, Commento, Utterances via React components | Yes Built-in support for Disqus; other systems supported via themes |
| Integrations | ||
| Social media integration | Via plugin Social sharing, cards, and integrations available through various plugins | Via theme Most themes include social media integration options |
| Analytics | Via plugin Easy integration with Google Analytics, Plausible, Fathom through official plugins | Via integration Most themes support analytics integration |
| Newsletter | Via integration Can be integrated through React components for services like Mailchimp, ConvertKit | Via integration Can be added through theme customization |
| Search | Via plugin Options include Algolia (gatsby-plugin-algolia), Lunr.js, Elasticsearch integrations | Via plugin Options include hexo-generator-search or Algolia integration |
| Headless CMS integration | Yes First-class support for most headless CMS platforms with official plugins for Contentful, WordPress, Sanity, Strapi, etc. | Via plugin Integration possible with various headless CMS platforms |
| Advanced Features | ||
| Multilingual | Via plugin i18n support through plugins like gatsby-plugin-intl or gatsby-plugin-i18n | Yes Built-in i18n support |
| AMP (Accelerated Mobile Pages) | Via plugin Available through gatsby-plugin-amp or custom implementation | Via plugin Can be implemented with hexo-generator-amp |
| PWA (Progressive Web App) | Yes First-class PWA support through gatsby-plugin-manifest and gatsby-plugin-offline | Via plugin Available through hexo-pwa or similar solutions |
| Specialized Content | ||
| PlantUML | Via plugin Can be integrated through custom components or markdown remark plugins | Via plugin Can be added with hexo-filter-plantuml or similar plugins |
| Mermaid | Via plugin Can be used with gatsby-remark-mermaid plugin | Via plugin Available through hexo-filter-mermaid-diagrams or similar plugins |
| KaTeX (math) | Via plugin Supported through gatsby-remark-katex or other math rendering plugins | Via plugin Available through hexo-renderer-markdown-it-katex or similar plugins |
| GitHub Gists integration | Via plugin Can be implemented with gatsby-remark-embed-gist | Via plugin Can be implemented through custom tags or plugins |