Metalsmith vs Statiq
Metalsmith
metalsmith.ioStatiq
statiq.devSide by side
| Figure | Metalsmith | Statiq |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | $50/mo |
| Free plan | Yes | — |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| Windows | Yes | Yes |
| macOS | Yes | Yes |
| Linux | Yes | Yes |
| API | Yes | — |
| Plans published | 1 | 2 |
| Spec score · Static site generators | 8.6 (#9) | 7.7 (#18) |
| Content sources | markdown | database |
| Deployment | Builds are static folders that can be deployed to a CDN, Netlify, GitHub Pages, GitLab Pages, SFTP host or custom server over SSH. | Statiq Web documents built-in deployment support for Netlify, Azure App Service, and GitHub Pages. |
| Local preview server | No | Yes |
| Runtime requirement | Metalsmith requires NodeJS and runs on all NodeJS Long-Term Support versions that are not end-of-life and some more. | Statiq Web consists of .NET Core libraries and requires the .NET Core SDK. |
| Supported languages | JavaScript,TypeScript,Node.js | C#/.NET |
Plans
Statiq
- Commercial-use license$50 a month
- Statiq Web/Docs commercial-use license$50, paid once
In their own words
Metalsmith
Metalsmith is a free, pluggable static-site generator for NodeJS that works more like a library than a framework. It transforms a directory tree into plain JavaScript objects that plugins can manipulate, without requiring a predefined project structure. Developers can use configuration over code or code over configuration, and access the package through either its JavaScript API or command-line interface. It works with npm, Markdown, JSON, YAML, and a templating language of choice. Example uses include static sites, scaffolding, backups, command-line and deployment tools, and eBooks made from Markdown for PDF, ePUB, or MOBI output. Starter repositories cover blog, company, resume, and clean-blog projects. Builds create static folders for deployment to CDNs, Netlify, GitHub Pages, GitLab Pages, SFTP hosts, or custom servers. Metalsmith requires NodeJS; the listed platforms include Linux, macOS, and Windows. The documentation says partial rebuilds are not available and suggests using a file watcher and browser synchronization package for automatic rebuilds. No billing terms or prices are stated on the supplied pages.