Eleventy + Netlify

Eleventy + Netlify

Eleventy (11ty) is a simple, flexible static site generator that ships no client-side JavaScript by default. It transforms templates (Nunjucks, Markdown, Liquid, and others) into static HTML, leaving you in full control of what, if any, JavaScript runs. Paired with Netlify for hosting, deployment, forms, and serverless functions, it produces extremely fast, low-overhead sites.

Components

• Eleventy (Node.js) processes templates and data files into static HTML, supporting many template languages and a straightforward data cascade.
• Netlify provides Git-based continuous deployment, global CDN hosting, form handling, and serverless functions for the occasional dynamic need.
• Tailwind CSS (optional) handles styling.
• An object store / CDN serves assets.

Strengths

Eleventy's defining feature is simplicity: it does one thing—turn templates into HTML—without imposing a framework or shipping a JavaScript runtime, so sites are as light as possible and load instantly. It is unopinionated about template language and project structure, fitting many workflows. Netlify's Git-driven deploys, previews, and built-in forms and functions make publishing painless. The combination is ideal for performance- and accessibility-focused sites and is cheap to host.

Trade-offs

Because Eleventy is intentionally minimal, you assemble your own conventions and asset pipeline; it offers less out of the box than React-based SSGs. It is not designed for app-like interactivity—dynamic, stateful UIs require adding your own JavaScript or a separate framework. The data layer is simpler than Gatsby's GraphQL but also less powerful for complex sourcing. Build times are fast but scaling to very large dynamic sites is not its focus.

When to Use It

Choose Eleventy + Netlify for content sites where speed, simplicity, and minimal JavaScript matter—blogs, documentation, marketing pages, and personal sites. It is a great fit when you want full control over output and dislike heavyweight frameworks. For rich interactive applications, pick a component-based framework instead.