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Zola

getzola.org

Free plan WindowsmacOSLinuxSelf-hosted
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Spec score 8.5 #10 of 35 in Static site generators

What it is

Zola is a static site generator that turns Markdown content into static HTML for blogs, knowledge bases and landing pages. It runs on Linux, macOS and Windows, and can also be self-hosted. Distributed as a single executable, it includes Sass compilation and syntax highlighting. Its maker says an average site generates in less than a second, including those steps. Because the output is static files, a published site does not need a database or server to manage. Zola uses CommonMark with added support for footnotes, GitHub-flavored tables, task lists and strikethrough. It uses the Tera template engine and can create multilingual sites with language-specific configuration and content. Users can define taxonomies and generate pages for their terms, such as categories, genres or tags. Search can run without servers or third parties, and indexing is configurable. Deployment guides cover Netlify, Vercel, GitHub Pages and Cloudflare Pages. The plan is free. Windows installation documentation says Zola does not work in PowerShell ISE. Code introduced after version 0.22 is licensed under EUPL-1.2; earlier code remains under MIT.

Spec sheet

Product
Zola is a static site generator that turns content into static HTML pages.Read 7 Oct 2026 · getzola.org
Free plan
YesRead 20 Sep 2026 · getzola.org
Integrations
The documentation provides deployment guides for Netlify, Vercel, GitHub Pages, and Cloudflare Pages.Read 7 Oct 2026 · getzola.org
Support
The maker links to documentation and a community forum for help.Read 7 Oct 2026 · getzola.org
License
The project states that code introduced after version 0.22 is licensed under EUPL-1.2, while earlier code remains under MIT.Read 7 Oct 2026 · github.com
Content sources
markdownRead 20 Sep 2026 · getzola.org
Download platforms
The installation documentation lists prebuilt binaries for macOS, Linux, and Windows.Read 7 Oct 2026 · getzola.org
Hosting
Zola outputs static files, so generated sites do not require a database or server to manage.Read 7 Oct 2026 · getzola.org
Local preview server
YesRead 20 Sep 2026 · getzola.org
Markdown
Zola uses CommonMark and adds support for footnotes, GitHub-flavored tables, task lists, and strikethrough.Read 7 Oct 2026 · getzola.org
Multilingual sites
Zola supports multilingual sites, with language-specific configuration and content files.Read 7 Oct 2026 · getzola.org
Multilingual support
YesRead 20 Sep 2026 · getzola.org
Notable limit
The Windows installation documentation states that Zola does not work in PowerShell ISE.Read 7 Oct 2026 · getzola.org
Performance
The maker says an average site generates in less than a second, including Sass compilation and syntax highlighting.Read 7 Oct 2026 · getzola.org
Search
The project describes search as running without servers or third parties; search indexing is configurable.Read 7 Oct 2026 · github.com
Single binary
Zola is distributed as a single executable with Sass compilation and syntax highlighting built in.Read 7 Oct 2026 · getzola.org
Supported languages
RustRead 20 Sep 2026 · getzola.org
Taxonomies
Zola can generate pages for user-defined taxonomies and their terms, such as categories, genres, or tags.Read 7 Oct 2026 · getzola.org
Templates
Zola uses the Tera template engine, which its documentation compares to Jinja2, Liquid, and Twig.Read 7 Oct 2026 · getzola.org
Use cases
Zola describes blogs, knowledge bases, and landing pages as examples of sites it can build.Read 7 Oct 2026 · getzola.org

Plans and prices

Zola Free No cost; single executable Read 7 Oct 2026 · getzola.org

Every Zola plan and price →

Strong points and limits

Strong points

  • Single executable includes Sass compilation and syntax highlighting
  • Supports multilingual content and configurable search indexing
  • Generates pages for user-defined taxonomies
  • Published static files need no database or managed server
  • Free at free

Limits

  • Does not work in Windows PowerShell ISE
  • Code licensing differs before and after version 0.22

Who it suits

Zola suits people building static blogs, knowledge bases or landing pages from Markdown, including multilingual sites. It is a fit for those who want static output without managing a database or server for the published site.

Verdict

Zola provides a compact route from Markdown to static sites, with multilingual content, taxonomies and server-independent search. Its Windows installation has a specific PowerShell ISE limitation, and the project uses different licenses across code versions.

Where Specifiction places it

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