Jekyll vs Middleman
Jekyll
jekyllrb.comMiddleman
middlemanapp.comSide by side
| Figure | Jekyll | Middleman |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | — |
| Free plan | Yes | — |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Open source | Yes | — |
| Web | Yes | Yes |
| Windows | Yes | Yes |
| macOS | Yes | Yes |
| Linux | Yes | Yes |
| Self-hosted | Yes | — |
| Plans published | 2 | 0 |
| Spec score · Static site generators | 8.8 (#5) | 7.5 (#26) |
| Command line | The CLI includes new, build, serve, clean, help, new-theme and doctor commands. | Its command-line tools include `middleman init`, `middleman server`, and `middleman build`. |
| Deployment | Because output is static, Jekyll sites can be deployed manually, through automation or with third-party hosting. | The maker describes `middleman-deploy` as a deployment tool that supports rsync, FTP, SFTP, or Git. |
| What it does | Jekyll converts Markdown, Liquid, HTML and CSS source files into deployable static websites and blogs. | Middleman is a static site generator for building websites with tools used in modern web development. |
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.
Middleman
Middleman has no write-up on Specifiction yet; its figures are above.