Hexo vs Jekyll
Hexo
hexo.ioJekyll
jekyllrb.comSide by side
| Figure | Hexo | Jekyll |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | — | Free |
| Free plan | — | Yes |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Open source | — | Yes |
| Web | — | Yes |
| Windows | Yes | Yes |
| macOS | Yes | Yes |
| Linux | Yes | Yes |
| Self-hosted | — | Yes |
| Plans published | 0 | 2 |
| Spec score · Blog Software | 7.5 (#21) | 8.8 (#1) |
| Spec score · Static site generators | 7.0 (#32) | 8.8 (#5) |
| Spec score · Blogging Platforms | 6.9 (#120) | 8.7 (#22) |
| Deployment | Hexo supports one-command deployment, with documented methods including Git, Heroku, Netlify, rsync, FTPSync, and SFTP. | Because output is static, Jekyll sites can be deployed manually, through automation or with third-party hosting. |
| GitHub Pages | Hexo documents deploying to GitHub Pages using GitHub Actions, including for public and private repositories. | GitHub Pages is powered by Jekyll and offers free hosting with custom domain support. |
| Theme customization | custom code | custom code |
| Themes | The homepage lists 455 themes and says users can create their own with compatible template engines. | The theme system packages layouts, includes, stylesheets, assets and plugins, and site files can override theme defaults. |
Plans
In their own words
Jekyll
Jekyll is a free, open-source tool that turns plain text into static websites and blogs. It combines Markdown, Liquid, HTML, and CSS with layouts, producing static files ready for deployment. Blog features include permalinks, categories, pages, posts, and custom layouts. A plugin system with hooks can generate content and extend builds without changing Jekyll itself. Community-maintained themes provide templates and styles, and site content can override theme files. Generated sites may be deployed manually, through automation, or with third-party services. GitHub Pages is powered by Jekyll and offers free hosting with custom domain support. Jekyll supports Linux, macOS, Windows, and self-hosted use. Installation requires Ruby 2.7.0 or higher, RubyGems, GCC, and Make. Safe mode requires explicit plugin permission through a whitelist. A volunteer core team maintains the project.