Gatsby vs Bridgetown

Gatsby9.4Visit Bridgetown8.8Visit

Higher score Gatsby #1 in Static Site Generators 9.4/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 4 of 4 features Visit Gatsby

vs

Bridgetown #5 in Static Site Generators 8.8/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 4 of 4 features Visit Bridgetown

• Gatsby fits best

  CMS-heavy React sites

• Bridgetown fits best

  Ruby developers needing flexibility

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Side by side

Feature	Gatsby 9.4/10 Visit ↗	Bridgetown 8.8/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score	9.4	8.8
Ranking	#1 in Static Site Generators	#5 in Static Site Generators
Best for	CMS-heavy React sites	Ruby developers needing flexibility
Pricing model	Free	Free
Starting price	Free plan	Free plan
Free plan	✓	✓
Free trial	—	—
Deployment	Cloud, Self-hosted	Self-hosted
Platforms	Web	Windows, macOS, Linux
Support	Community, Docs	Community, Docs
Integrations	8 integrations	6 integrations
Built for	Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise	Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise
Features Gatsby 4/4 · Bridgetown 4/4
CMS integration	✓	✓
Incremental builds	✓	✓
Multilingual support	✓	✓
Local preview server	✓	✓
Specs
Content sources	Api	Markdown
Supported languages	JavaScript, Node.js	Ruby, JavaScript
Our review
Pros	GraphQL data layer connects files, APIs, CMSs, databases, and services Supports static generation, SSR, DSG, and incremental builds Integrates with major CMSs, Shopify, and multilingual routing options	Markdown, layouts, components, collections, and front matter Optional SSR and dynamic routes through Roda Partial rebuilds, plugins, and integrated asset processing
Cons	Requires JavaScript and Node.js development The broad feature set adds architectural choices for smaller sites Gatsby Cloud and Netlify Cloud are directing users to migrate to Netlify	Hosting and infrastructure costs are separate Dynamic functionality depends on adding Roda Ruby-focused workflows may not suit non-Ruby teams
Our verdict	Gatsby is an open-source, React-based framework for building websites and web applications. It generates static assets at build time, combines content from filesystems, APIs, CMSs, databases, and other services, and exposes that… Read the review →	Bridgetown is an open-source Ruby-powered site generator and full-stack web framework for developers, agencies, and teams building content-rich websites or web applications. It turns Markdown and other resources into deployable HTML, CSS,… Read the review →

Strengths and trade-offs

• Gatsby — where it wins

  • GraphQL data layer connects files, APIs, CMSs, databases, and services
  • Supports static generation, SSR, DSG, and incremental builds
  • Integrates with major CMSs, Shopify, and multilingual routing options

  Where it doesn't

  • Requires JavaScript and Node.js development
  • The broad feature set adds architectural choices for smaller sites
  • Gatsby Cloud and Netlify Cloud are directing users to migrate to Netlify

• Bridgetown — where it wins

  • Markdown, layouts, components, collections, and front matter
  • Optional SSR and dynamic routes through Roda
  • Partial rebuilds, plugins, and integrated asset processing

  Where it doesn't

  • Hosting and infrastructure costs are separate
  • Dynamic functionality depends on adding Roda
  • Ruby-focused workflows may not suit non-Ruby teams

• Gatsby9.4/10 · Free plan

  A broad React framework for static, dynamic, multilingual, and CMS-connected sites.

  Visit GatsbyFull verdict →
• Bridgetown8.8/10 · Free plan

  A flexible Markdown-based generator for Ruby teams that need more than static pages.

  Visit BridgetownFull verdict →